Days of Fire
by ghost company
Summary: Darth Sidious had a plan and a place for everything. However, it is all put at risk when General Grievous's campaign comes crashing into Earth. When the Jedi race to the planet's defense, no one could foresee what would happen next. Will Sidious's plans survive the invasion, or will Earth spell his end? Finally, can Earth survive it's violent introduction to the galactic stage?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone. So, I after reading several different fan fics, I came up with this one and decided, "Well what the heck, I'll try it.". Anyway, at the moment I'm testing the waters, so I would love to hear what you all think. In the mean time, sit back and enjoy.**

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 **(Southern Nevada, USA: Area 51)**

The soldier watched a group of teenagers through his binoculars. When he was first assigned to base security, he couldn't wait to see what was truly inside the mysterious Air Force base. However, instead he was assigned to perimeter duty, which typically meant spending the day in a hot cramped humvee with an M4 and a set of binoculars staring out into the endless desert. His sole job was to watch for intruders. Five years and not one person had hopped the fence. Because of that he usually ended up just driving or sipping on a soda and watching desperate tourists try and get a glimpse at the base.

Watching the group leave, he set the binoculars down and rubbed his eyes.

 _Happiness and fun for everyone,_ he thought with a sigh as he put the humvee into gear.

Driving… or rather bouncing… down the two track road, he kept a careful eye on the perimeter. While the job was relatively boring, he had run into the occasional interesting item. Both of the natural world and of the base's extensive history. Between that and the occasional observer, he had just enough to keep himself alert.

As he rounded the top of a small hill, a streak in the sky caught his eye.

 _What the hell?_ he thought as it came his way.

He watched as it shot right over his humvee, and buried itself a mile and a half back and to the south toward the base. Getting over his surprise, he flipped the humvee around as he raced to the crash site.

Reaching for his radio he called it in, "This is Charlie 1 to command. I sighted an unknown object about a half mile southeast of my location. Moving to investigate."

"Roger. Charlie 2 and Charlie 3 will converge on the sight. Report when needed," crackled a reply.

"Understood."

With that he set the radio down and focused on driving. Laying into the throttle as much as he dared, he reached the sight in less than two minutes.

As he came up, he spotted movement in the blackened crater. Acting on experience, the man jumped out of the humvee, rifle shouldered. Using his door as cover, he waited for it to make the first move. After five seconds, human sized black bot with a round head and hanging legs, shot up before coming to a hover.

Not sure what to say, he stuck to the script, "Stop or I'll shoot."

Seeming to hear him, the bot swung away and to the left. Dropping to the back of the humvee for a shot, he fired off two rounds. Both pinged off the side.

The response was instantaneous as four blue lasers cut through the humvee like a knife through hot butter. Startled, he stumbled back, emptying his magazine into the bot. Each bounced off the armor, except one that cut through the eye killing the bot. At that moment, two other humvees came rolling up to the scene. Hopping out of the first humvee, the guard let out a whistle.

"I'd say we have a problem," he stated as he stared at the holes in the humvee.

 **(Jedi Temple: four weeks later)**

Six weeks ago something had shifted in the force. Almost everyone was having visions. They varied slightly but, they were all tainted with the darkside. However, after a while they were able to determine that it was the same planet, but at different times. Some were of marching droids, behind a blood red sky. Others of cities being destroyed and people fleeing, fear saturating the air. While others were of times that were seemingly in the past- soldiers directing and sometimes shoving people into railcars, men rushing into a battle only to be shredded by slug throwers of some kind seconds later. The scenes were always different, as were the time periods, but they were always of war. As time had passed the visions became more and more graphic, and disturbing. Despite all of the darkness, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope. It was like the force was whispering that they must venture into the darkness to find the light. However, the problem was that they didn't know where the planet in question was. That is, until now.

So, here the Jedi council stood, staring at the map of the galaxy as Admiral Yularen and Anakin gave their report.

"As you all know, Grievous has been reaching out into wild space, more and more in an attempt to flank the Republic. To counter we've been deploying probe droids, to find what systems are of importance, and act accordingly. We believe we found one, in more ways than one," Anakin started.

"What exactly do you mean by 'more ways than one,'" Mace Windu asked.

"Well, master, our probes brought back some interesting intel. I'm transmitting the video now," he answered.

With that, Obi Wan reached forward and pressed a few buttons on the holotable. He was awarded with a Republic seal, before a video came up. There was some fuzziness as the probe began coming on line. As audio came up, they could hear the crunch of gravel followed by a door opening. The visual came up on a four wheeled vehicle of some sort. Crouched behind the door, was a fully armored soldier with a weapon in hand.

The camera shifted as the probe lifted off and steadied itself.

"Stop or I'll shoot," demanded the soldier.

At this, the probe retreated, putting the vehicle between itself and the person. However, the person soon appeared around back. This time there was two loud bangs as the bullets slammed into the side of the probe. At this point the probe, determining him a threat, opened fire. However, to Obi Wan's surprise, it didn't kill the man. Startled the soldier jumped back, firing several rounds into the head of the droid.

After a couple seconds, the probe fell dead and the video ended.

As Anakin and the Admiral took the holovid's place, it was Mace Windu that spoke first.

"That was quite the aggressive response from the soldier."

"Yes. I had the clone in control not kill him, based on the planet's location. I feel we may need to make some friends, and having blood on our hands won't help in the matter," Anakin replied.

"I see," Obi Wan interjected, having had his question answered.

"Do you know why he was so aggressive?" Asked Master Koth.

"Yes. It landed inside the perimeter of a military base- more specifically one that specializes in highly classified projects," Anakin answered.

"Interesting this is. However, more you have, yes?" added Master Yoda.

"Yes Master," Anakin replied, "I will turn it over to the Admiral for the first part though."

With a nod to the Admiral, Anakin stepped back.

"Generals," he acknowledged, "After the probe droid, we deployed a stealth ship to gather intel on the planet. What we found was that the planet was very unique. The life sensors were off the charts, with humans being the sentient race. Considering their advancement, they should be branching out to at least some of the nearby planets, but there was no evidence of that yet. Nor is there a central government. The planet is divided up into over a hundred different smaller countries with their own governments. Many of them have their own customs and dialects to."

This was surprising to everyone there. While it was common to have a divided planet. This was a very high number of territories.

"What about attempts to unite them?" asked Obi Wan.

"The closest thing to that is the 'UN' also known as the 'United Nations'. However, they only are their to help defuse international issues, not actually govern," the Admiral answered, "Do to time I have sent a copy of the findings to the temple. That is all."

"Our thanks, Admiral," concluded Yoda.

With a nod, Anakin stepped forward as the Admiral left the shot.

Not waiting for anyone, Anakin started, "I went with the stealth ship. The planet is no stronger in the force than any other. However, it does hold a dark undercurrent."

"What do you mean?" asked Master Plo Koon.

"The force signature is that of one that has seen a lot of death and destruction. It isn't that of a Sith or Sith related. I think it's safe to assume that it comes from its rather violent past," Anakin answered.

"Interesting. However, not what caught your attention that is," Yoda pressed.

"Yes Master, I strongly believe this planet is the one from the visions," Anakin stated.

This caught everyone's attention.

"Are you sure?" Obi Wan pressed.

"Yes. I found several of the landmarks that matched those from from the visions," he stated confidently.

"Interesting. Investigate this we shall," Yoda declared.

There were several nods of agreement from around the room.

"Yes, but there's a complication," Anakin countered as he pulled up a tactical map of the area, "They're right in Grievous's path. I'd give them no more than a month or two before Grievous strikes, and given their weapons, these humans won't have a chance on their own."

"Visit this planet you shall. Help these people you will," Yoda ordered.

"With all due respect, Grievous's force is way too big to take on by ourselves," Anakin spoke up.

"Between Durge and Admiral Trench, we don't have much to spare at the moment," commented Master Koth.

There was a moment of silence as several masters reluctantly nodded in agreement. They were stretched thin.

"I will go," Obi Wan finally spoke up.

"Master Kenobi. Your men have barely had enough to refill their ranks from the last battle, and the fleet isn't totally done dealing with their wounds. I don't like this any more than the next person, but our best option is to try to pick him up when he re enters Republic space," Spoke up Master Windu.

With that the debate started. No one liked the situation, but several, lead by Mace Windu and Plo Koon, felt that there was nothing they could do. Anakin silently listened, his anger growing more and more.

Finally he burst out at the two, "Perhaps you two would like to personally explain that to the, roughly, 7,300,000,000 you're talking about leaving for dead? Besides, I don't think you want his fleet reaching the Republic."

Caught off guard by Anakin's outburst, the room fell silent. Mace Windu went to tell him to stay out of it, but was stopped by Yoda.

"No. Right, Skywalker is. To this system, we must send reinforcements. Little time there is, and answers we need," Yoda answered, "No better than the Separatists we are, if turn a blind eye, we do."

Seeing the Grand Master speak up was enough to sway the room. Slowly, the Masters agreed with the proposal.

"I will go ahead with Anakin and see about dealing with the necessary diplomacy. Commander Cody and the rest of the fleet can link up when they are ready," Obi Wan stated.

"Very well, and may the force be with you," Master Koth concluded.

Upon leaving the Temple, Obi Wan caught a transport ship to Anakin's fleet. Sitting down, he began reading the info that Anakin had sent. In an attempt to understand the situation that he was walking into, Obi Wan tried reading up on the recent history. Seeing the amount of information, he settled for reading up on the UN.

To say the planet- Earth as it was known- had a history was an understatement. Obi Wan quickly noticed a pattern of almost unending war, in some region or another. This all came to a climax as he read of the World Wars. As he was reading, he began to understand what was going on in some of the visions. The UN had its roots in the end of the first World War, however, it's predecessor didn't last long before the rise of Hitler brought it to an end. After the war the current UN was formed.

As he read of the wars, Obi Wan quickly began to understand why it was so fragmented. The whole planet was a powder keg of differing ideas and fierce independence. Tag on religious fanaticism and he quickly understood why the planet had ripped itself apart twice, and had never fully recovered. The only good thing, it seemed was that Obi Wan held no doubt of the skill of the militaries he would be dealing with.

Unfortunately, the fact that there was no central government was going to make this process a lot longer and harder than he would like.

 _Well, at least they're trying to put the past behind them,_ he thought as he continued reading.


	2. Chapter 2

**I would like to start by thanking everyone that reviewed, and/or liked or favorited this story. This was one of the best responses I've had (though, admittedly, I haven't been on here very long). Now I was asked a few questions. No, humans won't be extra force sensitive. However, I will go deeper into that as the story goes on. I figure we're good enough fighters as it is. Second, yes this is Earth is the Human home world in this story. How that will all work I don't know yet.**

 **Finally I want to make this quite clear: The Star Wars Franchise DOES NOT EXIST is this story. However ALL OTHER Science Fiction, and other works do. So, watch for references.**

 **So, without further ado, here's the next chapter. Enjoy and please review.**

 **P.S.: After about the third review, I couldn't see any new ones. So, please PM them to me. I would love to hear what you all have to say, and will respond promptly.**

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 **(White House: USA)**

President Damian sat, listening as the Director of NASA briefed him, and the other officials in the room.

"Currently the signals we have intercepted are intensifying. They are still to far for Hubble to get a clear look. However, based on the images I passed out, there is definitely something or somethings out there," the Director explained.

"Now you're sure this isn't something natural," asked the Vice President with skepticism that failed to reach her eyes.

"Yes, these signals are to intentional… To orderly to be natural," the man answered.

"Ok. So, what about that robot that crashed last month? Have techs gotten anywhere?" Damian asked.

"No. When the guard shot it, he did something that fried the entire inside," the Director answered reluctantly.

"Didn't know an M4 could do that," he commented under his breath.

It was clear that the President wasn't buying it.

"It can't," confirmed the Secretary of Defense.

"We believe that he triggered a self destruct of some kind. All of the internal components are fried," stated the NASA Director.

"Ok. Well, that's lovely. Is there anything salvageable?" Damian asked.

"No. Also, I just got updated on that second set of signals we picked up. They've backed off quite a ways," the man stated.

As if on cue, an aid came rushing into the room.

"Mr. President. You're needed in the situation room immediately," she stated.

Taken back by her abruptness, the President rose and nodded for the three men to follow him.

"Do you know why?" He asked as he followed her down the hall.

"No, sir. Just that Director Bates is waiting for you," she answered.

Stopping at the door to the situation room, she nodded as the three entered. Sitting at a row of computers where four techs working rapidly with headphones in. Damian had seen this before, and knew that the techs weren't working to music. They were trying to do something with a signal.

Standing at attention was Director Baits. Standing at five feet, ten inches, the balding man looked tired with his greying hair and weathered features. However, that all hide a deceptively sharp mind, hence why Damian had given him the reigns of the NSA. Damian noticed that the man's confident demeanor had totally left him today. He was sweating and his left foot refused to stop tapping. Damian hadn't seen this much nervousness since he first talked in length with the head of NASA.

"Good morning gentlemen, and ma'am," he said with a surprisingly steady voice.

"Morning. What's the problem?" Damian asked bluntly.

"Well, as you we've just had a major development with possible ETs," Director Baits started.

Given his position, he was one of the people on a very short list that knew what was actually going on.

"One hour ago, signal set two spiked in intensity. In fact possible encryption is the only reason we didn't know what exactly was being said. Anyway, fifteen minutes ago, Astronauts on the International Space Station captured these images," he explained as he passed out the pictures.

What Damian saw took his breath away. Against the moon backdrop was a massive rectangular object. Due to the totally geometric structure and blue glows coming from the back, it was obvious that this was an artificial object.

"Damn she's big," commented the Secretary of Defense.

"Yes. Our guys put her at about a hundred feet longer than an aircraft carrier," Director Baits answered.

"We're going to need to move fast to keep this info contained," Coleman stated.

"Already started calling embassies of the three countries that were on board the station," he answered.

"Good."

"So, I have to ask, why did this warrant the situation room instead of my desk?" quizzed Damian.

"Because, ten minutes ago, we started receiving a signal from that ship that was directed straight at us. People here and at Fort Meade are trying to totally dial in the signal. The good news is that this one doesn't seem to be encrypted," Director Baits answered.

"I see," answered Damian as he started to get very uneasy, "Well if they are contacting us, then that kind of blows any kind of preplanned greeting to hell."

"Got it!" triumphantly yelled one of the techs as he peeled off his headphones.

"Up on line one, and you're going to want to hear it," stated the another tech urgently.

Vice President Coleman watched as Damian strode over to the phone. Despite looking like the phone might blow up in his hand, Damian picked it up, left hand subtly shaking.

"Hel-" he started before falling silent.

There was thirty seconds of silence as he listened intently through the phone. Finally, his eyes widened, as he yanked out a small notebook and a pen. Damian immediately began scribbling notes down so quickly there were a couple smalls holes in the paper, now. He had just started to relax when he slammed the phone down.

"Director Smith. I want a radio signal ready to go to that ship ASAP," he ordered the NASA director.

Smith began to stutter, "S- Sir, g-getting one o-on the frequency that they will get it could take a while without full on-"

"Here's what you need. Make it happen," he stated as he shoved the paper at the man.

"On it. Is there anything else?" the man asked as he regained his composure.

"No. Just get it done," Damian concluded with the man.

When the Director had left, President Damian turned to the others.

"Two things. First they somehow know english. Second, they want to talk with us," he stated as he adjusted his sleeves.

( **GRS Resolute: Sol System)**

Obi Wan found himself staring at the planet, while Anakin paced the deck. They had sent the introduction on a loop a few minutes ago. Now all the could do is wait for an answer.

"General, the rest of the fleet has taken up station at the far edge of the solar system," Admiral Yularen reported.

"Sir, incoming radio traffic from the surface," called out a crewman.

"Good. Let's go meet them," Obi Wan replied.

Being near the holoboard, Anakin called Ahsoka to come to the bridge as the two came over. Due to the nature of the meeting, Anakin had her put on an actual set of Jedi Robes. At least until later.

Pressing the "audio only" button, Obi Wan began, "Greetings. I am Jedi Master Kenobi. To whom am I speaking?"

"President Damian of the United States. It's nice to finally talk to you," answered a crisp voice.

"As with you. Perhaps there's a place on the surface that we could speak?" Obi Wan enquired.

"I can arrange it. However, under one condition," the President answered.

"What would that be?"

"I understand what you said in the message. However, I would like assurance from something other than a looped recording, that my people will be safe," he answered bluntly.

"Very well. I can give you my personal word. Plus, I will order the cruiser to retreat back to the moon after we depart," Obi Wan stated.

There was a seemingly long pause, before the President replied, "Ok. That seems fair enough."

Anakin, Ahsoka, and the Admiral listened as the finer details were ironed out. It was decided that the three Jedi would fly a ship into Andrews Air Force Base. From there they would meet the President and be quietly escorted to the White House.

Deciding that a moderate display of strength would be appropriate, Anakin pushed for using the Consular-class cruiser instead of a shuttle. It took him some work, but Obi Wan finally agreed.

On the way down, Obi Wan reached into the force. Anakin was right that it held a darker undercurrent. Not that he was surprised, the Holocaust alone would've been enough to leave a mark in the force, let alone all of the other problems this planet had. However, he did notice that something felt off about the planet… Not bad, just like off.

He shook it off as they entered the atmosphere.

"This is Overwatch to Consular, reduce speed and stand by for further instructions," ordered a voice through the comm.

"Understood," acknowledged the pilot.

No sooner had he said that, then everyone heard a dull roar from behind them.

"Consular, this is Eagle 1. Stay present course. Do not deviate from your present course and do not fire any weapons," ordered another voice.

"Copy that… Getting ready for final approach," answered the pilot.

No one missed the "or else" left in the air after Eagle 1's statement.

"Boy talk about a warm welcome," commented Ahsoka.

"Hmm. Yes, but I suspect there's more going on here than we know," Obi Wan answered.

At that moment, the ship set down with a thump.

"Well let's go meet the locals," commented Anakin as he pulled on his outer robe.

With that, he lead the way down the ramp. Waiting for them was an average height man with salt and pepper hair and a short, well kept beard and mustache. Next to him was a blue eyed woman with medium length brown hair. While attractive, she gave off the air of someone who knew what she was doing and always had her next step planned ahead. Flanking them were four men in black suits. The expressions on their faces identified them as guards of some kind.

Despite their neutral expressions, Anakin could sense the surprise radiating off of everyone.

 _Apparently not expecting a non human. Or is it humans they weren't expecting?_ Anakin thought.

"Hello, I'm President Damian," introduced the man, "and this is Vice President Coleman. On behalf of the people of Earth, welcome to Earth."

"Our thanks," Obi Wan answered diplomatically, "I'm Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi, next to me is Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano."

I'm sorry. What's a Padawan?" Asked Coleman.

"A knight in training," Anakin answered quickly.

"Ok," she acknowledged before turning to Ahsoka, "Pleasure to meet you."

"Shall we get to the we get to the White House? There is much to discuss," Anakin pressed.

Next to him Obi Wan gave him a brief glance.

Patience.

"Of course. Right this way," President Damian answered.

Despite his tone, it was clear in the force that Anakin's abruptness had startled him.

However, with that, Damian spun on his heels and strode for the line of black vehicles behind him. In front was his limousine, followed by a large, black SUV, another limousine, and a black SUV behind it. As they went to get in, a loud roar could be heard as three F-18s prepared to come in for a landing.

"That must have been our escort," commented Ahsoka.

Her comment went unanswered, as everyone climbed into their respective limousines. As the convoy moved through town, Anakin took in the sights. As far as capitals went, this was definitely one of the more humble ones he'd seen. However, it was nice all the same with its many monuments, and well kept lawns. He was reminded just how fragmented this planet was when he saw how small the capital was. However, like with everything else, it was still an impressive sight with it's unique architecture.

After parking in an underground garage, the group was lead into a much more inviting room with seven men in either suits or military uniforms. However, unlike before, it was obvious that they weren't guards but politicians.

After getting over the shocks of humans from a different part of space, and the fact that an alien was in the room (though everyone in the room had sense not to call Ahsoka that) they got down to business. Obi Wan tried to quickly explain what the Republic was. However, he was frequently stopped by one or more questions. However, he quickly noticed that the President, nor the Vice President ever asked any. Despite the occasional note writing, they seemed to be content with just listening.

Finally, after about a half hour, he was able to get to the clones. Now if anything peaked the military leader's attention, this was it. They quickly shot off questions about how it worked, what the survival rate was, how they performed.

This continued until Anakin finally cut in,"Gentlemen. I understand you are curious about this. However, we are not the ones to try and explain the specifics. However, we do need to move on, so if you would please…"

Reluctantly they quit asking.

"... It was two days later that the battle of Geonosis happened as a result of a mission to rescue Anakin and I. However, it failed to achieve its other goals, ensuring that the battle of Geonosis marked the beginning of the war," Obi Wan explained.

"Now hold on. You're telling me that they went from no army to a massive, multi million person army in forty-eight hours?" interjected Coleman in obvious disbelief.

"Unfortunately, Sifo Dyas was murdered, ensuring that the cloning operation happened without our knowledge," Obi Wan answered, annoyance radiating off him.

"I see. Sounds convenient if you ask me," commented President Damian.

"How so?" asked Ahsoka, curious to see if they reached the same conclusion as the order did.

"Master Dyas goes off the rails- in theory-, disappears, starts creation of an army, and then dies. However, that army still has a smooth production process and just so happens to finish getting ready literally within hours of when you just so happen to need it. On top of the that the Separatists happen to be simultaneously raising their own army in secret which gets ready at the exact same moment in time. I'll be blunt. I have my own opinions on some of your policies but someone is still definitely playing you guys," he answered, "I don't know about you but I would be looking for leaks and double agents."

"Yes, we've noticed, however, with the state of the Senate, those are a dime a dozen. Unfortunately with all of the other monsters that this war has spawned, finding on specific instigator has been difficult," Obi Wan answered.

"In fact one of those monsters is why we came to talk to you," Anakin stated.

"What do you mean?" asked the Secretary of Defense.

There was a pause as Obi Wan tried to find the right words.

"We came to warn you that the war is coming to you," Obi Wan stated.

Again the room erupted with questions, until President Damian quickly shut them up.

"Quiet," Damian called to the people, before turning to the Jedi, "We didn't ask to join anyone's war."

"No, but it doesn't matter, you're in General Grievous's war path. That means you either surrender your world to him and accept a puppet government, or you dig in and fight. It is with regret that I must state that your time of staying out is gone," Obi Wan answered.

As he did this, Anakin produced a data pad with a tactical map of the galaxy, and sent it around the room.

"Red is Separatist space, blue is Republic. The black arrow is General Grievous's campaign and the star is you," Anakin stated.

It was at that point that it sunk in how screwed they were. However, Haley Coleman decided to cover one last base, "Now, this is a great theory, but there are hundreds of systems in front of that arrow. How do we know that ours is the target?"

"I have the intel reports right here," Anakin stated as he held up the data pad.

No one could read basic, but judging by the layout and seal, it definitely seemed like one.

"Fine. Then fight we will," Damian resolved.

"Very well. I have an offer. Currently we have two legions available. I am offering to exchange what technology we have, and helping defend your planet," Obi Wan stated.

Damian nodded, as his mind raced over what had just been said. However, before he could speak, Director Baits spoke instead.

"Now I saw that map well. We are a good strategic point for both sides. How do we know we won't trade one invader for another," he asked suspiciously.

"Simple. If Grievous gets killed, we won't have reason to stay up here. Most of the war is going on down here to the south," Anakin stated.

There was a moment of silence.

"How big's the his force?" Damian asked.

"Well over a few million, most- except the B1's- are armored like that probe droid," Obi Wan answered, "I will be honest. Even with our fleet, we may not be enough."

This sent tremors through the crowd.

"Well then. I suppose we have a war to fight than," President Damian stated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone. Thank you thank everyone that read and reviewed the story. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this. There's one last set up chapter. I promise that in the next one, things will go boom. However this one should be interesting all the same. So please read and review.**

 **So without further ado, I give you chapter 3.**

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The response was rapid. Countries quickly began building up their infrastructure overnight. Weapons and medical R and D firms (private and government) suddenly got a flood of money and resources for new technology. Most international disputes were basically settled or put to the side overnight. Borders were quickly opened as governments worked to make the most of resources and military options. It soon wasn't uncommon to see a Russian supply convoy driving into Poland, German AA guns inside French territory, or joint work crews building bunkers, factories or other necessities. Even North Korea was willing to put things aside for the sake of the fight. While underlying tensions were still visible, world leaders were willing to put them aside for the sake of mutual survival. The only entities that continuously dragged their heels were the Taliban, and ISIS.

 **(Fort Meade: two weeks later)**

Anakin stood at attention in the empty room. Or at least it was almost empty. On the back wall was a massive screen. With help from the Resolute, Anakin was talking to the Jedi council.

"What is the situation on the planet's surface?" Master Mundi asked.  
"Tense, Master. The good news is that Earth's leaders are taking the threat seriously. Many of the countries have put aside their differences, at least long enough to form an effective defense. However, there are a few… groups, so to speak, that are still creating problems," Anakin answered.

"How close are they to dealing with them?" asked Master Windu.

"I believe it will be soon. I am meeting with President Damian in two hours to finalize a solution." Anakin answered.

Despite his level tone, all of the masters could see Anakin shift uncomfortably, as a brief rush of dread rippled through the force.

"What of training and mobilization?" quizzed Master Koth.

"Many countries have instituted a draft requiring any man who can fight, to enlist. All militaries are being mobilized," Anakin Reported.

"Good. And the deployment of the clones?" asked Master Yoda.

"They are being deployed as we speak. Obi Wan and his men have deployed to the Eastern Hemisphere, while Me and my men are in the Western Hemisphere," Anakin answered.

"Very good. You and Obi Wan must move with haste. Unfortunately, intelligence has picked up credible intel that Grievous is due to attack within the month," Master Mundi stated.

"Blast it. I thought we had five weeks not three. I thought he still licking his wounds from Kentara," Anakin grumbled.

At this point he didn't even bother hiding his frustration.

"Yes, this we thought too. However, change anything, this does not," Yoda stated.

"Very well. Is there any chance of us seeing reinforcements? I understand that we've held our own in the past, but this isn't most situations," Anakin pressed.

"We are seeing what we can do to free up resources, but in the meantime you must do with what you have," Master Windu answered.

"Very well then. Is there anything else masters?" asked Anakin.

"No. Now go, and may the force be with you," Master Windu concluded.

 **(Washington DC: six hours later)**

Anakin sat outside at the table staring at his cup of half drunk cup of coffee. In truth, after getting over how strong it was, he had fallen in love with the drink (mainly due to the caffeine kick it gave him), but he really didn't have an appetite for anything at the moment. It didn't help that the fear inside the city was nearly enough to suffocate a force sensitive, despite the brave face everyone put on. He knew he needed to sleep, but his emotions and million questions wouldn't grant him sleep. Lights twinkled up and down the dark street. It was empty besides the occasional crowd of people trying to enjoy what was left of their normal lives.

His thoughts were interrupted by the opening of a car door beside him. Turning, he found himself looking at the VP, Hayley Coleman. At first glance, one wouldn't be able to tell that this was her fifth sixteen hour day in a row. However, a closer look told a different story. After giving him a silent nod, she wordlessly disappeared inside the coffee shop. A couple minutes later she reappeared, taking a seat across from him. In her hand was a large cup of what looked like plain, black coffee. The thought of drinking it made Anakin wince. He had tried black coffee once and nearly choked, before drowning it in sugar and creamer. Of course it probably didn't help that he had been at a Navy base, and apparently they were known for excessively strong coffee.

"I thought you had called it a night," Anakin observed.

"Nope. I left and began moving my family out of the city," she answered with a sigh, "I don't want them anywhere near here when things hit the fan."

"Ok. Just as long as you didn't move them to a different major city," Anakin replied.

"Oh God, no. Their on their way to middle-of-nowhere Nevada at my Brother's ranch," Haley answered emphatically.

"Ok, good."

"Where's Ahsoka? I haven't seen her in a while," Hayley asked.

"She's with Rex in route to California to help set up West Coast defenses," Anakin stated, "I'm headed to down south through Central America soon."

"Ok. Well, I think, that for better or worse, we have things down here," she stated.

"I understand. However, I still think the president is making a large mistake," Anakin said with obvious annoyance.

"I do too. Right now, I'm not sure if I'm angry at him or feel sorry for him," she stated, "He isn't taking this lightly, I know that. He's kicked out the speech writers and has spent every possible moment drafting his speech himself. However, at the same time, I still feel that there were other options like letting them get the natural consequence of getting run over by Grievous."

"Well, there's nothing we can do now," Anakin replied as he took a sip of his coffee.

The VPs only response was a silent nod as she drank her coffee. Upon finishing, the two went their own ways with their own jobs to do.

 **(Kabul, Afghanistan)**

Cody stood pouring over a map of the region. When Obi Wan had said they were going into a complicated mess, he hadn't expected anything like this. Cody had made a point of sending scouts and even himself out with various mountain patrols, and had seen for himself that the terrain was perfect for a defensive line. Steep cliffs, harsh weather, few good roads, and jagged, soaring mountain tops would help negate the droids numbers and make it a nightmare to attack.

However, that would only work if they could get everyone to play ball, and get decent enough weapons. Years of guerrilla warfare in the region left Cody with no doubt about their ability to rig up nasty traps and explosives. In fact he had seen it first hand, when the patrol he was apart of got jumped. However, their small arms, as with the rest of the planet, left a lot to be desired, and getting everyone to work together and get over years and years of hard feelings was proving hard.

Cody shook his head, he knew that forming a rigid line would be suicidal. They simply weren't equipped for that, and Cody's men were too spread out across the hemisphere to act as anything other than auxiliary units.

Now he had to explain this to the overly prideful general staring back at him from across the table. Obi Wan had tried to tactfully do it, but it hadn't worked. So now he got to do it.

Summoning up all of authority he could into his attitude, Cody began, "Here's the deal. If you make a solid line, you will die. Period. Sure you may hold off the first wave, maybe even the second. However, they will trap you up there. They will starve you of supplies, and then when you are out of ammo and starving, they will kill you,swiftly and decisively-"

The general went to protest.

"No, I get to finish… If you fade through their lines, you can do what your people did to the Russians and Americans… what the Taliban is doing to you. You hold them until you start to break. Then you fade through and attack their supply lines, communication centers, ammunition dumps, everything. From there you can trade out weapons and begin to get bolder. Frankly that is your only option."

The bluntness started to get through to the man.

"What about your men? Surely we can see some support from them?" pressed the man.

"We will do what we can, but we're spread thin," Cody answered.

"Fine, but we will not just stand by and let them take our homes," stated the man as he brought his hand down, firmly on the table.

"We're not asking that. We're just asking that you be logical," Cody affirmed.

"Good, then let us finish preparation."

 **(White House: Four hours later)**

President Damian sighed as he slumped down at his desk. With everyone gone for the night, he wasn't worried about looks. He was just relieved that he finally got the speech done. Explaining what he was about to do was no easy task, especially now, and especially considering that he, himself, didn't like the idea. However, he saw no other choice. Everyone in the region, including Israel, had managed to sign into a collision (fear makes people do crazy things), except ISIS, which was holding land that the collision needed. This made war the only option. However, Damian was going to make sure that this was another Six Days War, not some drawn out affair.

At that moment, a general entered the room.

"Sir, the last of the evacuees just cleared Syrian airspace three hours ago," he reported.

"Good and the Rangers?" the President asked.

"The last ones are over the Western Mediterranean," the man answered.

"Good, I'll be down in a minute. I want the briefcase there when I arrive," the President ordered.

"Yes sir."

As the man left, Damian let out a sigh as he paced stared out the window.

God help us all, he thought as a knot formed in his stomach.

 **(Somewhere over the western Mediterranean)**

Lieutenant Pierce shifted in his seat, as he listened to the drone of the engines. Despite multiple attempts to, he had long since given up on sleep. The rest of his platoon had been granted sleep, but it seemed that he was being denied. Sure to the outside observer, it might seem obvious what was keeping him up. C-130s aren't known for comfortable seats, nor were their engines quiet. Tack on the fact that they were bouncing through the edge of a storm and it seemed like no wonder he couldn't sleep. However, it wasn't that. He had dealt with those many times over. The last time had been in route to Syria. The US, still not completely sure how to clean up their mess, had decided to send in Army Rangers with the official duty of keeping the peace as the countries pushed back ISIS. However, their unofficial duty had been to help weed out insurgents. However right now that no longer mattered. At the moment he still couldn't believe that he was going home, only to prepare for an alien invasion. Ironically, it was about the only thing no one talked about on the plane.

"Hey, Lieutenant," called the person next to him.

"Ya?"

"Do you think they'll actually do it?" the Sergeant asked.

"What. Us or the invasion?" Pierce quizzed.

"Us. I mean, if they do, what was the point of us taking a such a hard line with Iran? Heck what was the point of half of our foreign policy since the Cold War?" he answered.

There was a pause as Pierce contemplated the Sergeant's question.

"Unfortunately, it looks like we will. Not like ISIS didn't have it coming. In terms of the morality of the situation, Two Face put it best, 'You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.' Beyond that, I don't know," he stated solemnly.

"Ok," the Sergeant responded with a slow shake of his head.

It was evident that he didn't like the idea at all. Then again, it wasn't like Pierce was thrilled by the idea either. The rest of the ride was spent in relative silence. Pierce was able to finally get some sleep as the weather cleared. There were two mid air fuelings that turned it into a nonstop flight from Syria to California.

As he landed at the base, he was greeted from a Lieutenant from Raptor Company.

"Hey did you hear the news?" he asked as Pierce went for his barrack.

"What news?"

Wide eyed, the man replied, "They did it. They actually nuked ISIS."


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone. I am glad you all are enjoying the story so far. I wanted to put this out there, if there is something you would like to see happen (or not happen), I'd love to hear it. In the mean time I give you part 1 of the opening battle. Enjoy and please review. I'd love to know what you liked and didn't like. However, most importantly sit back and enjoy.**

 **So without further ado, I give you chapter 4.**

* * *

To say things were moving fast was an understatement. Many country and state leaders found themselves cursing as it set in that this was a total planetary war. Evacuating a war zone ahead of time wasn't completely feasible. The closest they could do was an optional evacuation of major cities and strong encouragement that if you didn't have a job in one, you should stay out. Officers and guardsmen flooded major cities in the U.S. and some other countries to keep public unrest to a minimum. Rounding a corner and seeing a soldier or SWAT officer with an assault rifle slung around his neck was not unusual. Despite all of the preparation, nothing could prepare the people for judgement day.

 **(Central California: I-5 southbound)**

Lieutenant Pierce shifted his weight on the seat as the helicopter followed close to the road. In the distance explosions could be heard as they flew into Sacramento. The night sky glowed orange. Looking out, he could see why. The entire city seemed to be coming apart as fires and explosions ripped through the city-scape. These were being accented by the streaks of light as tracer rounds and missiles from the Patriot missile batteries tried shooting down the offenders. To add the chaos was a roar as F-18s and Republic fighters joined the mix. Admiral Yularen had fought hard to defend the planet, but he was getting overwhelmed fast and the Separatists were capitalizing by turning their bombers on strategic areas. That was one of the reasons that the chopper pilot didn't dare go over a couple hundred feet in the air. A minute later the whole platoon landed in a large store parking lot. As the men flooded out of the black hawks, the Captain quickly called the Company's attention.

"Here's the deal. We get to hoof it to the South side of town. There we take position with the Republic's Torrent Company and settle in for the fight. Their still evacuating, so we need to give them all the time we can. Not to mention, as I'm sure you are all aware, this is one hell of a major cross roads. If they get this, things get a lot more interesting," the Captain yelled, "Any questions?"

"Alright, let's move out," he ordered, seeing no questions.

With that, the Company spread out and began running for the front. As they sprinted down the road, it all seemed surreal. It was like Pierce was watching a movie, not living it out. He seemed to catch every detail as buildings fell, or people yelled. In his time doing two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and Syria respectively he had seen a city blown up like this once and that was it. More than once they were forced to climb through a building that had fallen across the road. The noise soon became deafening. However, Pierce simply managed to block it out. What he couldn't block out were the bodies. They were everywhere. The injuries varied but they were all just as gruesome. The one of the worst to him was a kid no more than fifteen that had been partially crushed by a concrete slab from a parking garage. Pierce could see where pieces of rebar had stabbed into his head granting a quick death. To add to all of this was the chaos of people still trying to desperately leave the city as death rained from the droids above.

Stopping a few blocks back the captain gave out orders.

"First platoon, you're with me up the middle. Mathews take second Platoon up the next street over. Pierce link up with Captain Rex at the plaza," he ordered, "Until further notice, you belong to him."

With a series of 'yes sir's they split off. Despite the fires, Pierce was forced to use his light to keep the shadows from messing with him. After what felt like forever, they came up on a surprisingly untouched four story building with a plaza facing a four way intersection behind it. Waiting for them was a clone in blue and white armor with a black pauldron.

"Name and division," he ordered.

"Lieutenant John Pierce, second platoon, Shadow Company. Army Rangers," he answered crisply.

"Captain Rex with Torrent Company. Republic Army," Rex introduced.

John had become familiar with the man and his reputation during his time in California. So listening to him was no problem.

"Alright, we're holed up at the moment until the bombing subsides. However, that doesn't mean we're wasting time," he explained as he lead them into the building, "Here's the deal. I need machine gunners across the street in those buildings. Sniper's take positions that will give you the widest field of fire as possible, beyond that just tell me where you land. The rest of you, form up on the line. Lieutenant Pierce, I trust you know how to deploy men?"

"Yes sir," John answered quickly.

"Good. Get ready. This hell is just beginning," Rex concluded.

The rain that had started earlier became a cold downpour as midnight arrived. Sitting in a half destroyed hotel across the street, John watched as an two Abrams and an AT TE showed up. Despite being unwieldy and full of obvious vulnerabilities, John had to admit the walkers were one hell of a sight. All throughout the night the ground was rocked as bombs came crashing down on the city.

 **(Coruscant: Senate district)**

Chancellor Palpatine listened as the Jedi explained the operation to him.

"Thank you for informing me. I'm sure that we can complete this operation baring that it does not consume too many resources," he replied, concern painting his face.

"Our thanks," answered Yoda, "Fail we will not."

"I understand. Is there anything else for us to discuss?" asked the Chancellor.

He hoped not. Their mercy mission had already delayed his plans enough.

"No. We just wished to inform you of the situation," Master Windu stated.

"Then I'm afraid that politics calls," he answered.

"Very well. Thank you for your time," Master Windu concluded.

With that, Chancellor Palpatine ushered them to the door. After seeing that they were gone a ways down the hall, he shut and locked his office. He was starting to get quite upset at the Jedi reassigning _his_ army all the time.

Donning his black robe, Chancellor Palpatine went to pull out his secret holocommunicator when it hit him. Next thing he knew, he was in the middle of a bombed out street. His lightsaber drawn as he took on two shadowy opponents. With a swift stab, he plunged his lightsaber into the first person. He could've sworn he heard a gasp come from the blank figure.

Ripping his blade out, he brought the other figure up in a force choke.

No sooner had he lifted the figure than the fight ended. There was a sharp "bang!". The same second, the entire front left quarter of his head exploded into a bloody mess as the world went black.

"Earth" whispered a voice.

* * *

Jolting up in his desk, the Chancellor's eyes went wide with horror. He had seen many visions of the future but this was the first of his death and it sent tremors through the force. Tremors that he had no doubt any nearby Jedi had felt.

This left him with a lot of questions. However, one thing was clear. His end game would have to wait. Earth was all that mattered at the moment.

 **(CIS: Invisible Hand: Earth)**

Grievous watched with pleasure as the Republic cruiser exploded. This left the flaming and all but crippled Resolute on her own behind a debris field. Admiral Yularen had cost him a lot of his fleet and now would pay for each and every one with his life. Given the man's tactical skills, Grievous almost considered him worth the effort to board the ship himself. However, he thought better of it at the last second.

"Sir, the Republic ship has transferred all power to her hyperdrive and shields," reported a battle droid.

"The ship is accelerating toward us," reported his tactical droid.

"Argh! Tighten formation, and focus fire on him," Grievous ordered before turning to the viewport, "Now you die."

However, the Resolute refused to die. Grievous's eyes widened as he realized that the Admiral had set his ship on a collision course with the Invisible Hand.

Realizing that he had no other survivable option Grievous turned to the tactical droid, "Evasive maneuvers. Get us out of the way."

The response was rapid as the ship dipped down and to the left. Grievous watched as the flaming form of the Resolute over top of the ship. Finally, there was a soft thump as the ship fled into hyperspace.

Grievous was outraged at the escape of the Resolute. That anger was compounded on as he looked at the graveyard of ships. There were five destroyed Republic cruisers, but that was opposed to fifteen of his forty-five ship fleet. He had other places to be and he needed every ship he could. However, he kept finding the Republic occupied ones, no matter how hard he tried, not that it mattered to much. The Republic fleet was gone, which meant that he was ready to move on. This was suppose to be a blow through op. He was just making sure there would be no nasty surprises as he made his escape. Instead his primary goal was Coruscant.

"My lord," stated his tactical droid coming up next to him, "a message from Dooku."

With that he gave the General a data pad. Now Grievous knew something was up. Dooku almost always liked to communicate face to face. For him not to was quite significant. Grievous quickly read the message, glee lighting up his eyes.

"Begin landing the droids and redeploy the bombers. I have a new set of targets for them," he said with a disturbing calmness.

"Yes sir," responded the droid.

(I-5 Southbound lane: 15 miles north of Sacramento)

One of the beauties of the U.S. interstate system was that it was build during and for the Cold War. This meant that while it was meant to handle large volumes of cars, it was also designed to handle jet fighters should the need arise. Ironically this feature had never been used. At least that was until now. The ground began to shake as the A-10 Thunderbolts warmed up their engines and pilots finished preflight checks. Sporting a 30mm Gatling gun and enough air to surface missiles per jet to level four city blocks, the A-10s were a monster to anyone in their path. This was something their pilots intended to show the Separatists. Having had their original landing force ripped to shreds by Heavy Cannon and Howitzer fire, the Separatists were going for a take two, only this time out of range of the main guns. Now it was the Air Force's job to have some fun.

"This is Overwatch to Raptor 1, your clear for lift off," crackled a voice in the pilot's ear.

"Affirmative."

With that the engines changed pitch as one jet after another raced down the road. Soon all four were up in the air.

"Alright boys. Let's go light them up," Raptor 1 called he lead the squad.

Racing through the air he leveled off for a while. Upon nearing the city he dropped the nose of his jet toward the city and into the smoke, before leveling out at two hundred feet.

"I've got targets dead ahead," he called.

Down below was what looked like a tidal wave of droids and armor marching toward the city.

Are they really going parade style?" he thought in disbelief as lasers came flying at them.

Dropping as low as he could he watched in his peripheral as a series of lasers shredded the cockpit of his wingman, killing him without so much as a sound through the radio. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to focus on the battle. While his Gatling gun took the half second to spin up, he let loose a set of missiles. Streaking through the sky, the cluster bombs broke apart as they crashed into the formation. The ensuing fireballs were only added to as armor piercing rounds flew from the Gatling gun. The results were devastating. The tanks shrugged off all except the bombs which disabled them, and several columns of B1s and B2s were instantly blown apart.

"This is Raptor 2, I've been hit. My targeting system's off line," called out one of the pilots as they rose out of the smoke.

Looking back he could see the smoke pouring out of the fighter's side.

Damn it.

"Alright, we're making another pass. Follow us through and then head back. I have a feeling that targeting system isn't your only problem," he ordered.

"Raptor 1, this is Overwatch. You have Vulture's inbound. I advise you get out of there. We've got no fighters able to help you over there," interjected a voice over his radio.

"Shit," he mumbled before addressing the squad, "Looks like we've overstayed our welcome. Form up, we're headed back to friendly air."

There weren't any arguments as the fighter's formed up. Opening up the throttle, they raced back home. Looking at his radar, he watched as three blips showed up and slowly gained. Usually he wouldn't have worried with all of the armor these jet's had, but the lasers that the Vulture droids used were in a totally different league.

"This is Rancor squadron, we have your back. Moving to intercept," stated a clone pilot over the radio.

He went to respond but was cut off as angry red lasers began slicing through the air. Ducking and weaving, the fighter's separated. As he dove to the right, he watched as a flood of lasers ripped through the damaged fighter, ripping it in half. Coming out of his turn, he let loose with his 30mm cannon, tearing apart one of the pursuers. After what felt like forever, but was really about a minute, a squadron of V-Wings intervened. This gave the A-10's the room they needed to escape.

"Thanks. We owe you one," he said after the last fighter was destroyed.

"Don't mention it. Bedsides I have a feeling that once this is over, we'll all owe each other," replied the clone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone. Well, after a small bout of writers block, I finally have the rest of the battle. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and please remember to review. Both praise and constructive criticism are welcomed. However, most importantly, sit back and enjoy. So, without further ado, I give you chapter 5 (Sacramento: main act).**

* * *

The sniper was dressed in head to toe camo. Using the shadows for cover, he stared through the scope of his rifle. The cannons had all fell silent as the droids held out of range. This left the area with an offsetting silence. All of the civilians were either out of the city or hiding as they attempted to get out.

"All teams be advised. We're tracking … objects… orbit… impact… city," cracked a voice through his earpiece.

"This is sentry one. Come again?" asked sniper with a frown.

The only response was static as he tried two more times.

 _Well looks like we get to find out,_ he thought with worry as he shifted positions.

At that point several streaks of light caught his attention. Looking up, he watched as the four objects slammed into the ground. One of them landed with a loud crash into the intersection in front of him. Knowing that it could be trouble, the sniper slid his eye back down in line with the scope. Within seconds a red glow could be seen as object opened. Now he knew that it would be trouble. Fighting to see through the moving shadows of the isolated fires, he took aim. A black shadow dropped to the ground and was gone before he could shoot. The next one wasn't so lucky.

Firing a 50 cal. armor piercing bullet, his rifle could pierce a cinder block wall at almost a mile. To be fair, that was an almost impossible shot that only a select few had ever done. However, unfortunately for these droids, they weren't a mile away and they weren't thicker than a cinder block.

The rifle bucked as the shot rang out. In the first half of the second the droid was descending to the ground. In the second half of the second the back half of his head exploded as the bullet shot out the back and buried itself in the dirt.

Because he was chambering another round, he couldn't hit the third droid, but the fourth droid met a fate similar to that of the second droid as a bullet caught it in the head as it turned to run for cover. Between him and the droids was a block of burned out and half destroyed buildings.

Keeping his eyes on the buildings, watched as the shadows shifted. He knew roughly where they were at, but the lack of any light being used was making it hard to see them, and night vision was only helping a little, as the droids seemed to mesh with the darkness.

Suddenly one appeared at the window, setting up what appeared to be a rifle. Not waiting to see the end result, he planted the crosshairs right between the droid's eyes. However, before he heard a noise behind him. Jerking his head around, he found himself face to face with a solid black droid with white markings. Wide eyed, he let out a yell as several thousand volts of electricity suddenly coursed through his body killing him within a couple seconds.

Standing over the still twitching body, the Commando Droid commander gave the all clear signal. Turning around, he went back down the steps as the rest of the squad moved to form up. Once the nine droid squad was formed up, they moved out. Sticking to the shadows, the droids moved down the streets dealing with sentries as needed. Soon they found themselves staring at their targets. Standing in front of the now leveled airport, was a series of six cannons. Some of Republic design and some of Earth design. Standing around them were about two squads of men, with assault rifles held tightly. Motioning to the droids, he ordered them to spread out.

Silently, snipers took position as rocket launchers were also set up, and the other squads arrived. After about five minutes the first shot rang out, catching the guard in the chest. The ensuing fight was quick as the commando droids emerged from the shadows. The soldiers were quick to respond as red lasers mixed with lead and blue lasers. However, it was too little, too late. Within a couple minutes the final soldier crumpled to the ground with a hole in his chest. With everyone dead, the droids went to work blowing up the cannons.

With the cannons destroyed, the landing force began their attack. Despite harassment from more flights of A-10s and the occasional C-130 gunship, the droids forced their way down the interstate. Seeing the attempt to flank the city's remaining defenses, everything was shifted in that direction, and that was where the worst of the fighting took place.

Leaning out from the concrete barrier, John quickly began firing at the droids marching across the overpass. The place was a scene of controlled chaos as the clones and Rangers tried to keep the column of droids off the bridge. In the middle of the road, the four Abrams tanks had staggered their firing pattern so that as one was reloading, the other was firing. On top the 50 cal. Machine guns were firing almost non stop. Despite the solid wall of weapons fire, the droids kept coming.

As John squeezed off more rounds, a hand tapped, or rather, hit his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw a soldier pointing to the empty magazine in his hand. John didn't hear the words but knew the request. After ducking back behind the concrete, he produced a loaded magazine out of his belt.

"Last one!" John shouted as he passed the magazine.

There was a nod of understanding as the soldier jammed the magazine into his M4. Upon chambering a round, he dropped half way back down the embankment as he engaged some droids trying to harass the clones busy underneath. John leaned out of his cover and emptied his last magazine. His rifle gave the tell tale _click_ of being empty. John's heart might have skipped a beat, but it was racing so fast that John highly doubted that it was possible. Swearing, he unclipped a frag grenade from his pocket and pitched it into the oncoming droids. The area was so loud that John saw the flying droid pieces and debris, more than he actually heard the explosion.

As he ducked back behind the barrier, he watched as a clone to his right got hit in the chest. The shot threw the trooper back. John watched as he landed on the concrete about twenty feet away. It was obvious by the clone's lack of movement that he was in bad shape. Taking a breath, he mentally rehearsed his plan. He knew the odds of the clone being alive were slim, but he didn't deserve to be left in the open either. Plus, if he was dead, John would have himself a weapon. If not, then he probably would be saving the clone's life.

Slinging his M4 over his shoulder, John crouched as he prepared himself to spring forward.

 _Don't think. Just do,_ he commanded himself as he took a deep breath.

Exhaling, he sprinted forward. He barely had time to notice the lasers coming within inches of him as he sprinted across the open concrete. Coming to the body, he leaned down as he snaked his arms under the man's arms before interlocking his fingers on his chest plate, just above the duel, black holes. With some effort, John lifted him up into what was almost a sitting position. Staying low, John took another quick breath. After that, he drug the clone back to his position. Finally, after what felt like forever, he had the man leaning against the barrier. Panting from the added effort, John peeled off the clone's helmet. Staring at him were a set of wide unblinking eyes. Shaking off the unnerving sight, John checked in vain for a pulse. Finding him to be dead, John quickly but gently closed the clone's eyes before laying him clear down behind the barrier.

It was at that moment that a nearby explosion caught his attention and gave him a new sense of urgency. Looking at to his right, he saw the flaming wreck that was one of the Abrams tanks. It had been hit square on by a Separatist tank as it rounded the top of the overpass. The Separatist tank quickly got a taste of karma as the one of the remaining tanks put a round straight into the driver's compartment. This destroyed it in a fiery explosion.

Scooping up the clone's blaster, he checked the charge and rejoined the battle. As he poured lasers down range, John had to admit that it was nice not having to worry about ammunition. However, that didn't help the fact that they were being overrun.

"I hope that bridge is almost ready, because we can't hold out much longer," John yelled through his radio.

"Working on it. Give us about a minute and we'll be ready," the clone replied through gritted teeth.

"This is Captain Rex. You have exactly a minute. Make it happen," Rex interjected over the comm.

"Yes sir," came a crisp response.

The next minute felt like forever as John continued to pour fire into the droid line.

"We've got it, Captain," reported the clone, "We're clearing out."

"Good. Get clear then blow it," Rex ordered over the comm.

After another minute one of the clones yelled into the comm, "Fire in the hole!"

On cue, a series of explosions ripped apart the bridge. They destroyed the supports, blew out large chunks of the opposite embankment, and ripped apart the roadway in a series of ear splitting explosions. John was forced to shield his eyes as the bridge collapsed on itself, taking multiple tanks and hundreds of droids with it. After several seconds everything settled as a thick cloud of dust hung in the air.

There was a moment of confusion as the droids tried to figure out and counter what the defenders had just done. Taking advantage of the confusion, the clones and Rangers attempted to regroup their forces. John very quickly got a head count of his men. In the four hours they had been in this spot, his company had been cut in half. Seeing this Rex had what was left of one of the clone platoons form up under his command. They had a similar issue, but were minus a commanding officer.

However, as the droids finally found a way to resume their attack, the order went out to pull back. The line had broken at Ahsoka's position further to the east and they were in danger of being out flanked and surrounded. The defenders fought hard, even as they pulled back. However, the damage was done. The droids had momentum and one other thing that the Clones and other soldiers lacked… numbers. Multiple times, they tried forming a new line, however, every time the droids punched through. It would take another forty-eight hours. However at 12:30 am on Christmas Eve, the last unit's retreated out of the city. This would give the Separatists their first major strategic victory in the war for Earth.

Within the next three days San Francisco and Los Angeles would both fall to the droids. To north, Vancouver fell soon after. This allowed the droids to begin their northern invasion along the west coast. Later in the week, Washington D.C., long since evacuated of all politicians and military commanders, would be reduced to ash by an orbital bombardment. In Europe, Paris and Madrid fell almost simultaneously within hours of Sacramento's fall. Kabul fell at the same time. However, the droids soon found themselves fighting a new kind of battle as resistance cell popped up within hours of its fall. In Russia, Moscow was able to hold out. After a week and a half, Grievous finally lost his patience and ordered the rest of his droids to help reinforce the droids advancing out of Paris. All and all, things were turning very ugly very fast.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone. We are going to slow things down a bit. Unfortunately this is a little bit of a filler, but there is still important info in here, so make sure to read or else you will be wondering, later, why I turned certain people into idiots when I really didn't. Don't worry, things will really go boom next chapter. So with that enjoy and please review.**

 **So without further ado, I give you chapter 6.**

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 **(Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station: Four weeks later)**

President Damian paced the hallways as he killed time before the meeting. In his hand was a half drunk cup of black coffee. All around him, the grey walls added to the dismal atmosphere. More than ever he found himself longing for home. Not the White House, but he wanted his actual home back in Montana. He missed his earlier life. However, it was too late for that now. Now he got to direct the battle for his planet from under two thousand feet of solid granite. Usually he would've done his rounds around the various command centers (NORAD, Northcom, SPADOC, and the Ballistic Missile Defense Center) but he had done that so many times that the commanders had politely and tactfully chased him out with a promise to update him at the next meeting. Having done all that he needed to do, he was reduced to pacing the halls. Shaking his head, he checked his watch.

 _Show time,_ he thought to himself as he turned down the next hallway.

Walking just below a jog, he quickly found the meeting room. Unlocking the room, he flipped on the light, and continued to pace. The first to come in was his VP, Hayley Coleman. Surprised to find him there already, she took a stutter step at the door before recovering.

"First time I've seen you early to a meeting," she commented as she organized the papers in her hands.

"Almost. I do believe I was early for all of the debates during the campaign though," he commented with a smile.

"True, but I don't think that mattered to the British Prime Minister when you made him wait," she needled with her own smile.

"Ya, but you know how I feel about him," Damian answered with a sigh.

"True. How did you put it at the end of that meeting..."

"In 1775 we quit caring what you thought about our domestic policy. That has not changed since," he finished with a thin smile.

"Yes, I think it was at that moment that I started to become a regular at the UN instead of you," she answered.

"I do believe it was, but then again you have more patience for that kind of thing," Damian stated.

With that the room fell silent as generals began filling up seats at the conference table. Without anyone saying a word, the relaxed atmosphere was replaced by a much more foreboding and grim one. Each person snapped a quick salute before taking their seat, with a frown. The NSA director in particular seemed uncomfortable as he subtly fidgeted with his suit in the disguise of smoothing it out.

Seeing everyone was present, Damian began, "Alright, let's begin. What's our status?"

"The CIS holds most of the Eastern Seaboard, with the exception of a few hold outs, most notably Boston and Annapolis. The navy was slipping in supplies by sub, but with the bay now locked down by a couple Separatist cruisers, we can't get in. Annapolis has maybe a day or two left at this rate. However, we have been able to bog down their efforts to push inland substantially. With help from our friends in the intelligence community, we have resistance cells popping up wherever they can get a little breathing room," answered the General on the far right, "On the west coast, they have breached our lines on I-10, have crossed the border into Baja. They have slowed their assault on Donner Pass through, and have turned their attention back up to I-5. Here's a map of their gains."

With that, the General pinned the map to a large piece of cork board on the back wall.

The red was splotchy but there was a lot of it. There was a large portion in South America. The two red spots in California were under threat of joining up. And the one on the Canadian/Washington border was sitting right at the northern edge of Seattle. The General went on to explain that large portions of both France and Spain had been overrun. Afghanistan was holding on but it wasn't looking good.

Taking it all in, Hayley spoke next, "What does this do to our strategy?"

"Not a lot," answered another general, "However, Anakin is redeploying himself up to the I-5 corridor and Ahsoka is moving to the Seattle area. It appears that they were able to get intel from a droid commander that that is where the droids plan on focusing their attack. I-10 was just to keep everyone busy. However, it appears that they aren't totally how far they are going to push that area so we are still treating it as an active front. That said, we have another problem surfacing. Director Baits would be best to explain that."

All eyes shifted to the Director as he cleared his throat.

"The CIS has decided to hit below the belt. As we're all aware, they've been targeting cities behind the lines in a firebombing campaign. That wasn't a massive surprise. However, before when they captured an area, they took prisoners. However, that is changing. Intelligence operatives have confirmed that they are running a targeted campaign against civilians now. They have greatly thinned the labor teams via execution and prisoners of any kind, combatant or not are being executed in mass groups. Here are some of the images and frankly if these were black and white I'd say this was a photo out of Natzi Germany," the director explained a deceptively calm tone.

Seeing the photos, Damian could only stare in wordless horror at what he saw. The images were mainly of large holes. Inside were up to twenty or thirty bodies in various uniforms and clothes all lying dead. At the edge various droids were filling in the hole. In another was several people on their knees in what was once Central Park. The leveled blasters made it all to clear what happened within seconds of the photo being taken.

"Damn it. How do we intervene?" the President asked as horror was replaced by rage.

"At the moment, all we can do is win the war. I know it isn't much be we need to be careful. I can tell you for a fact that they wanted us to know about this. I'm sure they made sure that these images got out. This is a form of psychological warfare. We can't do something brash just to save a few people trapped behind enemy lines, and they know it. They want us to give into our emotions and make a mistake they can capitalize on," Director Baits answered.

President Damian wanted to cry out and protest. This wasn't just a few people, this was hundreds if not thousands of people that this was happening to. However, he wasn't a strategist. That was what he had appointed these people for. He was just there to lead and make sure those people did their jobs. If they said there was nothing that could be done, than he was sure that nothing could be done.

"Is this just here in the U.S.?" he asked as his calm professional demeanor returned.

This had an unsettling effect on everyone in the room.

"No," the Director managed to quickly answer, "We have reports coming from as far away as Paris and Kabul to Shanghai and Tokyo."

President Damian let out a sigh. He was at a loss of words and to angry to give a rational set of orders. His first thought was just to empty their nuclear arsenal on the world. If they didn't get the world, than no one did. Then he was reminded of the fact that they were droids and as such could survive the nuclear wasteland that would ensue.

 _If I do that, I might as well hand it over to them,_ he thought as he shook his head, _unless…_

"How hard would it be to slip a nuke onto one of those cruisers?" Hayley asked before Damian got the chance.

This caught everyone's attention. There was silence as the commanders rolled it around in their heads.

"Under the assumption that we could get on board without getting picked out of the sky, not too hard," he answered.

"Hey, we could use it to test out that knew armor we were developing," piped up on of the commanders from the other side of the table.

"True, but it would take some work. We'd need a Republic Gunship. As we learned the hard way, any flak would pick off any of our insertion ships," answered Director Baits.

"Given the plan, I don't see that being an issue," President Damian answered.

"Yes we could. I don't see why not," the Northcom Commander finally answered.

"Yes, but it's important to realize that we can't just continually do this. We would risk doing something akin to burning up the atmosphere. As it is the area under whatever ship we destroy will probably be a radiological mess for quite a while," interjected the Secretary of the Navy.

"True, but once should be fine, and we need whatever advantage we can get at the moment," the commander of NORAD answered.

"Alright then. Let's make it happen," President Damian ordered, "Is there anything else?"

Upon finding nothing else, he dismissed everyone.

 **(Coruscant: Chancellor's office)**

Chancellor Palpatine was staring out the window as he contemplated his next move. He knew he was walking a tightrope. Never in this war had he ordered something this bold, or frankly, savage. However, there was a threat on Earth and since the Force had refused to reveal that threat, he decided he would cover all of his bases and take advantage of his blood thirsty general. However, this came with other issues. This invasion was taking forever. He could only keep Grievous there so long before the Separatists would start questioning the campaign. However, his biggest problem was that he could only keep Republic troops tied up so long, and if news of his "final solution" leaked out, he had no doubts that the Jedi would do more reasoning behind his back. As it was, they were starting to ask some dangerous questions.

However, at the moment he had a Senate meeting. Luckily he had been able to pawn Earth off to the Jedi to answer for, while feeding just enough false info to save them from being on the same page. That said, he needed to end this, and quietly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi, everyone. Well, to say I had a burst of inspiration is an understatement. So, updates will be coming quickly, at least for the next couple chapters. Anyway, I had said things would go boom and here they will. Things are starting to get real. So, sit back, enjoy, and please remember to review.**

 **So without further ado, I give you chapter 7.**

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 **(100,000 feet above San Francisco: 2 days later)**

The weight of the mission was not lost on the 5 Navy Seals in the Republic Gunship. Nor was it lost on Anakin, who was with them. In between them was a nuclear warhead. The Seals had each been given new body armor. Unable to find the materials to make durasteel, the military had improvised. There were two kevlar vests. Between them was a quarter inch, relatively lightweight titanium/steel alloy plate. It wouldn't stop a laser, but the odds of surviving were a lot greater than with the old armor. Strapped to the Seal's backs was an experimental angel wing shaped wing suit that could be collapsed down when they were done, something that would come in quite handy tonight.

"Ninety seconds to drop," called the clone pilot.

"Alright, let's get geared up," called Thomas, the leader.

With this Anakin stepped forward. Given the nature of the mission, he had opted to carry the warhead. Working quickly, two of the Seals quickly secured the weapon to his back. Despite a grunt from the extra weight, Anakin seemed unaffected by what he was carrying.

"You sure you want to carry it?" asked Thomas, the leader.

Anakin had to work to keep from rolling his eyes. Thomas has asked him this at least four times already.

"Yes, I'm sure. Now let's get to work," he replied before turning his attention to the pilot, "Hawk, get us a view."

The reply was a sharp hiss as the blast door opened. Set against the dark sky was the even darker form of three looming cruisers. Their target was the center one, and the random lights that dotted its surface only added to its apparent size. Even fifty thousand feet down and a mile away, she was quite a sight. San Francisco was one of the major landing zones for their northern offensive. As such, Command had decided to make it go away. Because of the ship's tracking systems, they had decided that wingsuiting in was the best option.

"We're over the drop zone," Hawk called back.

"Alright, let's get this done," Thomas answered before giving everyone the countdown.

"...3...2...1… Go! Go! Go!," Thomas yelled as everyone dove out.

As he dove out, Anakin immediately spread out his arms and let the suit take affect. After an agonizing few seconds of the winds tearing at him from all directions, he leveled out as he used the force to keep himself steady. All around him, the soldiers began to stabilize as the angel shaped wings evened out their descent. Since he was already using the force to help with his decent, Anakin decided to submerge himself in it and get a real look at how everyone was doing. On the outside, they radiated extreme confidence. However, he didn't have to look very hard to see that they were all very nervous about the mission. Not knowing how much it would work, Anakin actively reached out to each person, pouring genuine confidence into the force. As they approached the target, he could feel a shift as they started to feel it.

"Watch it. We're going in hot," Thomas called.

"Steady. Not yet," Anakin countered, knowing what he was thinking.

Thomas was right, though. They were going in fast. Anakin was the only one that could make the landing at this speed, and that was questionable considering what he was carrying. However, now was not the time.

"We're cutting it close," added one of the other men nervously.

"Almost there," Thomas replied through gritted teeth.

The next few seconds before the order were agonizing.

"Now! Deploy chutes," Thomas called.

The response came in the form of several black parachutes springing out as everyone was jerked back by the sudden drag. The group started to relax as everyone glided onto the top of the ship. Antennas and other hardware passed by as the group came to a landing in the middle of the ship. Working quickly, everyone quickly folded their parachutes into their wingsuits before folding them all up and slinging them on their backs.

"Alright. Skywalker, lead the way," stated Thomas as he gestured to the hatch in front of them.

Wordlessly, Anakin lead the way. Behind him the Seals all spread out in a crescent shape with their assault rifles leveled. Pulling out his lightsaber, Anakin motioned for everyone to stop. Silently, he reached into the force. He soon found what he was looking for. Down below he could sense a squad of droids passing by. After waiting for them to pass by, he went to work. Quickly, he snapped his lightsaber to life, before slicing a neat, circular hole in the hatch. He caught the piece of metal halfway to the deck and brought it down with a relatively soft thump.

With that he stepped aside as the soldiers quietly slipped through the hole. As they came down, they formed an armed circle around the hole as they watched for droids. Seconds after the last soldier formed up, Anakin dropped down, barely making a sound.

Seeing everyone there, Thomas gave out orders, "David, Chase, and Noah, keep the exit clear. This is our way out. If things go south, let me know and we'll go to plan B. Chase and Jordan, you're with me. Let's move."

With that they split as Anakin lead the way to the reactor. Rounding the corner, Anakin quickly activated his lightsaber. Surprised, the squad of droids barely had time to react as the Anakin rushed at them. Deflecting the lasers, he hacked a path through the middle as the Seals used their silenced weapons to take out the rest. Within about ten seconds, the remains of fifteen droids were scattered across the narrow passageway. Seeing them dead, the group moved on. Silently, the group weaved their way through the passages until they came up on an area that was labeled "engineering".

"There's bound to be droids in there," Thomas commented as he stared at the locked door.

"Well then, either way we'll get spotted. The lock is set on an alarm. I can say from experience that if you try to tamper with it, they will know," Anakin stated.

"Then, how about we make sure they really know we're here?" asked Jordan as he produced a large, shaped charged.

Anakin and Thomas looked at each other with a mutual nod.

"Alright, make it happen," he ordered.

"Yes sir," Jordan responded crisply as he went to work.

As Jordan set the explosives, Anakin backed way off. Given what he was carrying, he was being more careful than usual. As Jordan set the explosives, everyone formed up for the attack. Much to his distaste, Anakin hung near the back, knowing his combat skills would be hampered by the fifty pound explosive on his back. Plus, Thomas had, rather forcefully, informed him that he wasn't to take any unneeded risks. After taking position, Jordan began the countdown with his fingers.

 _5… 4... 3… 2… 1… BOOM!_

With a blinding flash, the door was blasted inward. That same second, they went pouring through the opening. The startled droids turned to face their attackers. However, it was already too late. There was a series of muffled pops as Thomas caught the first one between the eyes, before shifting his aim and shooting the next one in the chest. Immediately the Seals began clearing the reactor room.

Despite, Thomas's request/order, Anakin immediately turned his attention to the B2s on the catwalk that ran around the reactor room. Using the force, he launched himself into the air, while activating his lightsaber. Swinging it in a short arc, Anakin disarmed the first droid as he landed on the catwalk. He proceeded to blitz forward, slicing the first couple droids in half, before stabbing the next one and throwing it into the series of droids behind it. Reaching out with the force, Anakin began ripping the chunks of the catwalk from the wall, and violently throwing the droids to the ground. At this point he could hear the distinct sound of Commando Droids racing into the room. Anakin immediately shoved his outstretched arms to the right. This sent all of the metal grating crashing into the entrance, crushing the commando droids before they could react. Within a minute and a half the room was clear.

With the droids dead, they began setting up the nuclear warhead. It was strapped to the reactor and connected to a remote. As well, Jordan hooked up an anti tamper trigger. This meant that if the droids tried to disarm it, the bomb would override the remote and detonate immediately.

"You know, I thought I told you to stay back," Thomas stated sharply as he glared at Anakin.

"Ya, well I don't exactly listen well," Anakin replied with a sparkle in his eye.

"Hmm… Well, thanks," Thomas replied as he held his hand out.

Anakin was surprised by the shift in attitude, but shook the man's hand nonetheless. Across from him, it was all Thomas could do not to shake his head. He was frustrated that Anakin seemed insistent on being apart of the combat despite what he had been carrying. However, considering that he had just saved the team's lives, he couldn't justify staying annoyed.

"Alright, we're set," Jordan stated triumphantly.

"Good. Let's get out of here. I have no doubt we have company on the way," Anakin replied as he hacked through the wall of metal grating that was blocking the entrance. Upon exiting, they were instantly greeted with more droids. Fighting fiercely, the team forced their way back to the exit.

"Hawk, we're on our way back. We need you overhead when we get there," Anakin ordered as they sprinted down the hall.

"Chase, we're coming in. Be ready to move when we get there," Thomas ordered at the same time.

"We're trying, but we're in deep with the droids over here. Noah's hit," Chase answered.

He swore under his breath before getting back on the comm, "Understood. We're almost there."

Rounding the corner, Thomas nearly got caught in the head by a stray laser. Up ahead, the Seals were trading shots with a large group of droids. Scattered across the ground were the remains of several of the droids in question. What caught Thomas's attention though, was the soldier leaning behind a crate with his hand pressed against his side.

Taking advantage of not carrying the warhead, Anakin leapt straight at the droids. Taking advantage of the surprised droids, the medic broke away to help the down soldier while the rest worked with Anakin to finish the droids. However, the downed droids were quickly replaced by more droids, slowly overwhelming the group.

"Hawk, where are you?" Anakin asked as he ducked a slash from a commando droid.

"Just arrived overhead," Hawk answered.

"Everyone, we're leaving," Anakin called.

As if on cue, a rope dropped through the hole. Breaking away, Anakin used the rope to propel himself up into the passenger compartment. From there, he proceeded to use the force to pull the rest of the team up, starting with the injured one.

"We're all in," Thomas called as his feet touched the deck.

"Copy that," Hawk replied as he pulled the gunship away.

Being careful to dodge the lasers from the cruiser in question or the other two cruisers in the region, the Gunship raced away.

A loud explosion could be heard as the warhead detonated. The ship was instantly ripped apart in a fiery explosion as debris and radioactive material was thrown into the atmosphere. The explosion and resulting EMP blast was enough to nearly cripple one of the other cruisers and left the targeting systems on the other temporarily disabled and kill all of the droids. .

 **(Bridge of the Invisible Hand)**

Grievous let out a roar as he watched the scene unfold. There had been some intruders on one of his landing ships. That in of itself wasn't much more than an annoyance that the droids, even in all of their incompetence, could deal with. Or at least he thought. Not ten minutes later, a report had gone out that the team, lead by a Jedi, had breached the reactor room. That was when a flood of laser fire could be seen as the three cruisers tried stopping a gunship that was apparently buzzing overhead. Two minutes later came the dazzling explosion. Almost instantly the center cruiser was replaced by a mushrooming sea of red and orange. All that was left to see was small sections of the ship as they were flung in every which way by the explosion. The ship on the right wasn't responding and showed critical, structural damage while the other was also failing to respond but it seemed to be from the EMP.

To say Grievous was livid was an understatement. At this point Grievous wasn't really listening as the tactical droid ticked off the losses. After it finally shut up, Grievous turned to the droid.

"Recall the bombers. Load them up with the virus warheads. We'll show Earth the real meaning of fear," Grievous ordered with clenched fists.

"Yes sir."

Despite the gravity of what had just happened, Grievous couldn't suppress a maniacal chuckle. Despite what the Republic thought, the Blue Shadow Virus project had not been a total loss. In fact quite the contrary. Dooku, through only reasons he was privy to, had managed to salvage the research findings after the Republic raid on the lab on Naboo. As the war progressed, the techs at the CIS had managed to take the airborne version and make it also contagious between people. Given the planet's level of advancement, Grievous doubted he could kill off the entire world (like he had been ordered to) with the stuff, but he could sure strike a crippling blow.


	8. Chapter 8

**Well guys, I said the next one would be going up fast, and here it is. The balls rolling, and suspicions are growing. Unfortunately, as they say, "It's always darkest before the light."**

 **Anyway, without further ado, I give you chapter 7.**

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 **(Northeastern Afghanistan)**

Commander Cody watched as a couple soldiers in crude HAZMAT suits carried four small children into the sterile white tent. Behind him, a group of Taliban fighters half guided and half carried a group of seven pale adults forward. In front of him, a couple doctors broke away from their patients to help settle the new comers. All around him, clones and "regulars" (as the people from Earth were being called) worked to treat the patients. Almost each one was the same. The all sat or in most cases were laying down with high fevers and almost constant coughing. However, the tell-tail sign was the bluish tint in each person's otherwise pale skin. Many of them had looks of fear and desperation. However what disturbed Cody the most was the hopelessness in the faces of many of the sickest ones. I was as if they had already surrendered their lives and were just waiting to be given permission to die. All around, doctors in similar HAZMAT suits and gas masks were trying to treat the patients as best as they could. The sight was enough for Cody to quietly recheck the seals on his suit, before approaching the clone medic in charge.

"How bad is it, Dagger," he asked quietly.

"Not good. Our suspicions were confirmed. Somehow the CIS got their hands on some weaponized blue shadow virus," the medic answered solemnly.

"That's not possible. General Skywalker and General Kenobi shut down that factory. Remember? We got stuck playing cleanup," Cody countered.

He inwardly winced at the memory. Cleaning up that factory had been a long, and tedious job- not to mention dangerous. Despite precautions, Cody had still lost a couple men during the process.

"Ya, I remember quite well," Dagger answered with a shake of his head, "But the signs and symptoms are obvious. This is exactly what Rex and his men dealt with when they got exposed. There are some minor differences, but I'm still convinced that it's some form of the virus."

"Alright, I'll get to that in a minute. First, what are our losses?" Cody asked.

He had a million questions, but only a few that mattered.

"Well, they hit another village yesterday. As far as we can tell, that puts the death toll up to four thousand, and that's just in this area. Other areas in Tajikistan and Pakistan are also reporting outbreak," Dagger answered, "However, there's a couple logic problems with this."

"What do you mean?" Cody quizzed as he crossed his arms.

Dagger sighed as he started, "First, if this was the old stuff, we'd already be looking at a planet wide infection by now, but this stuff isn't spreading like that. Plus, the infected areas would be all joined together, not all spread out and disconnected-"

"Because the stuff doesn't spread as well through the atmosphere," Cody finished for him, "I noticed. It's like smoke. It's heavier than the air and as such doesn't spread as well."

"Right, but here's the other issue. Some of the areas where this virus is showing up, the Separatists haven't touched. Even with this stuff being airborne they shouldn't be having this kind of issues," Dagger added.

"So, how is it spreading? I remember the virus was originally waterborne. Did it get into the water?" Cody quizzed.

"Not that we can tell. However, we are noticing that the sick areas like that were areas where people, often already infected, went to escape the attacks," Dagger answered.

Cody noted the dread that creeped onto the medic's face.

Catching what Dagger was implying, Cody connected the dots, "You think that they made a virus that can't spread as well through the air, but is infectious between people?"

"Yes. So far the evidence supports it, and frankly given the nature of our operations in the area, the tactic is as brilliant as it is savage," Dagger answered with a hint of professional admiration.

"I see. Thank you," Cody concluded as he turned to leave.

"So what do we do?" Dagger asked.

Pausing, Cody turned to answer, "Talk to the general. Then we continue what we've been doing, only with less people."

Noting the Commander's cold stare, Dagger simply nodded before returning to work.

Over the next couple hours things began to move quickly. Cody had immediately gotten on the long range communicator and talked to Obi Wan, who was in eastern France. This is where he learned that he gas attack had not been an isolated incident. Instead, the virus was being reported all across the globe in various spots. Not long after, troops in gas masks and full body suits began quarantining infected areas. Behind the lines, local police officers and reserve troops began the long process of tracking down people who had fled the infected area. Meanwhile, the Cody began organizing his next move.

Five hours later, the sun fell below the towering mountains. Quietly, the squad of clones and local soldiers slipped into position. Sitting on the side of the mountain range, Waxer watched as the men descended into the thick brush. Down at the bottom of the canyon was a narrow dirt road that wove its way between the mountains. It was up this road, that the droids had to move their supplies. The local fighters had nicknamed it the Gate of Hell. The reason was obvious. In the ditches and scattered across the landscape were the remains of hundreds of droids and dozens of tanks and other armored transports. It was here that they had chosen to strike the enemy. If one looked even harder, they could find the skeletal remains of Soviet troops that had attempted the same move. However, they were smart and had only done it once before blowing the entire area to hell with fighter jets. Luckily the droids were not being so smart.

No sooner had the twenty men gotten into position, then did their target arrive. Marching down the road was a full armored column of droids. The group consisted of fifty droids, and five regular tanks. However, in the middle was their ultimate goal. It was two defoliator tanks. One of several that the droids had been moving into the area recently. Capable of scorching the land without harm to their own droids, these were one of the few real threats to the defensive operations in the area.

Waxer, being in charge of the group, waited to give the order. He waited until the column was squarely in the kill zone.

"All units engage!" he called through his wrist comm.

Suddenly, a piercing yell could be heard through the canyon.

 _BA-BOOM!_

Simultaneously, two IEDs detonated, taking out one tank each. Each bomb exploded in two parts. The first part, propelled the warhead through the bottom of each tank, at which point the second part exploded inside the crew compartment. The results were catastrophic as the tank crews were blown apart and smoke billowed out of the hatchways. The twin explosions hadn't even settled when two Taliban fighters popped up from the brush- each one brandishing captured Separatist rocket launchers. Before any of the droids or the defoliator tanks could stop them, twin streaks of light went flying into the defoliator tanks. The resulting explosion sent the nearby droids flying as the tanks were ripped apart.

With the tanks down, the rest of the attackers popped up, and traded fire with the droids. The attack was quick as the droids were surrounded by soldiers carrying captured Separatist weapons. Despite the droid's superior numbers, the fight was something more akin to a massacre than an actual fight. In ten minutes, all four tanks were destroyed and many of the individual droids were completely scrapped.

 **(Main Defensive line: California/Oregon border)**

John watched in horror as the blue mist erupted less than a mile in front of them.

"Masks on! Masks on!" yelled a voice through his comm.

This was enough to bring him back to reality. Ripping his helmet off, John quickly produced a gas mask out of his pack. After an agonizing half second to fix the straps, he shoved it on his face, and tightened the straps. No sooner had he done that, then the mist- aided by strong winds- washed over the group. John quickly double checked the seal and made sure the filter was working good. John may not have been a religious person, but he caught himself praying that he had been quick enough as he donned his helmet and took up his M4.

Shaking it off, he put swung his rifle back so it was behind him, and grabbed his shovel. Staring down the half finished trench, he gathered up all of the authority and attitude that he could as he addressed the worried soldiers.

"Let's go," he commanded, "We ain't dead yet, and until we are, we still have asses to kick and names to take. So, get back to work."

WIth that, he began shoveling dirt over the side. All across the forest, the scene took on a World War 1 appearance as clones and regulars alike dug parallel but staggered trenches, on each side of the interstate. In front, muffled explosions could be heard as demolition crews blew out the bridges and the occasional cut away. While they were doing that, other teams set up mines, and tanks took position. It had been decided by command that they would make their stand here in the mountains. For the first week the gas attacks were intermittent, but as time progressed they were an almost hourly occurrence. Despite the masks, several of the men became ill as the virus slowly picked away at the defenders.

 **(Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station)**

President Damian was livid as his stared Obi Wan down through the video screen.

"Well you sure as hell did a crappy job with containing the info," he yelled, cutting off the General's explanation, "and thanks to that, my people are dying in masses."

For Obi Wan's credit, he was barely flinched as he answered, "Look. I don't know what happened. That info was secured. However, now that doesn't matter. What matters is the current situation."

Damian took a breath. Obi Wan was right. Non of that mattered at this second. As they said, hindsight is always twenty-twenty.

"Fine, all I'm going to say is this. You said, you think there's a central agitator behind this war. I'm willing to bet, if you find this leak, you'll find him. Now that that's said, let's focus on being alive long enough to find him," Damian stated calmly.

"I agree," Obi Wan answered, "So, what's your status?"

"Here's the Deal. Curtesy of their nice little present, We've lost almost everything east Philadelphia and Their forces along the East coast are totally linked up, trapping us out of the coast, and their currently primed for a attack on New Orleans. To the north, Alaska has fallen as has a good chunk of Canada. To the south, Central America is barely hanging on, and Brazil, Argentina and Southern Peru are all cut off from them. All of the countries to the to the north of them on that continent have fallen," he stated.

"I see. Well. We are only doing slightly better. Most of southeast Asia has fallen. Australia has pulled itself in and is gearing for a major fight, while Russian and Chinese troops are fighting to Hold the droids back in the East. Over here, Their forces in Spain and France have linked up and have driven us back to the Belgian and German Borders. Italy is trying to hold on, Grievous has slowly taken it. The only good new is that the droids took Cody's force in Afghanistan as a threat and have turned their offensive in that direction, sparing our flank," Obi Wan reported.

"Here's the question. What in the hell do you plan to do about that virus? We've managed to mobilize scientists to look for a cure, but I doubt us on Earth will be able to find a cure in time," President Damian asked as the glare returned to his face.

"I don't know," Obi Wan admitted, "Our best hope is to get a hold of the Republic fleet or someone who can send them here."

"I already have them working on that, but you know as well as me..."

"That the odds of getting one out, let alone that far are slim to none. I know" Obi Wan finished solemnly, "The best I can say is just continue pressing forward. Eventually, an opportunity will present itself. We just need to make sure we're here when it shows."

 **(Jedi Temple: Room of a Thousand Fountains)**

The Room of a Thousand Fountains was suppose to be a peaceful place, a place where weary Jedi could recenter themselves and meditate between missions. However, now was not the case. As Master Yoda closed his eyes he was transitioned to a new place… hell perhaps? Perhaps. It sure felt like it.

The heat was intense, nearly to the point of burning his skin, as Yoda descended into a dark void, when suddenly images flashed across his vision. People were running in terror, as a blue mist enveloped them. Yoda braced himself as the mist washed over him. He stumbled as he was broadsided by the darkside. It seemed to slam into him hard. A cold shiver went down his back as he stabilized himself. Lightsabers came to life all around him as various Jedi deflected lasers from unseen enemies and screams of terror echoed through his head. Yet through it all, he heard laughter. It was faint but is was there, maniacal and sinister. Upon further listening, there were two people laughing. He recognized the first as General Grievous, but the next one was what startled him. It was distorted, but Yoda was sure it sounded familiar. Before he could place it, a calm voice cut through everything.

"Can you hear it?" echoed the voice.

This one Yoda recognized as the Sisters that had guided him on his travel to Korriban.

"Here what?" Yoda pressed.

"This is the sound. For better or worse, this is the end…" echoed the voice as it faded away.

Then it was gone. Just like that it was gone. The heat and visions disappeared into black. Seconds later, light poured filtered in as he blinked open his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone. Well, after a round of writers block, I have the next chapter. I know it's a bit of a filler, but I have a character that needs introducing and figured this would be an entertaining way to do it. With that said, sit back, enjoy, and please review.**

 **So without further ado, I give you Chapter 9.**

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 **(Northern Brazil: Amazon Basin)**

Five weeks. That had been how long the droids had been trying to secure this hell hole. Officially, the front line was somewhere near Rio, but when it came to the resistance cells there was no frontline. Sure droids weren't susceptible to the Malaria and and other illnesses, but there was plenty to make up for thick canopy prevented their orbiting ships from shelling the place to oblivion for risk of blowing up their own army. The near constant rain and mud played havoc with their equipment, and the droids themselves. They couldn't even gas the place out due to the fact that they needed a workforce to replace the damage done by the near constant ambushes, sabotage, and blatant attacks on CIS munitions and supply dumps. Of course what the tactical droid in charge failed to realize was that the workers were the root of their problem.

"The Dark Angel arrives tomorrow. Alpha 1," mumbled a man as he moved slabs of broken concrete.

"The Dark Angel arrives tomorrow. Alpha 1," confirmed the person next to him as he pretended to inspect his work.

Noting a battle droid approaching, the person quickly went back to work prying chunks of concrete out of the river bank. For the rest of the day, he committed the words to memory as he and the rest of his twenty man crew worked to clear the river bank. Two days ago, this had been the last bridge crossing the river. The military had blown all of the bridges on the Amazon River, except this one. Commando droids had managed to take and hold the bridge before the Brazilian Army could blow it up. That changed two days ago when a group of resistance fighters rigged enough C4 onto the bridge to take down a city block. The workers could feel the shock wave in the camp a mile away. As spectacular as the explosion was, he couldn't say he was all to happy about the extra work… but then again… work is what kept him alive.

Finally, at sundown, the laborers all lined up in their rows, to go back to camp. Today hadn't been to bad. Everyone was smart enough to boil clean water for today, and only eight had died that he knew of. Two had died of illness, one had slipped and was carried away by the current, while one other died from a mix of starvation, and overwork. The other five had been executed to "pay" for the destruction of the bridge. However, that wasn't to say things were "good" by any stretch. The droids kept them just above starving, clean water was in short supply, and at least ten people were getting ill that he knew of.

Noting the person in front of him, he waited for the droids to walk past before leaning forward.

"The Dark Angel arrives tomorrow. Alpha 1," he whispered.

The only response was a barely noticeable nod. This was due to a droid that had decided to do an extra round.

The moonlit march back to camp yielded another casualty. There was a grown as one man gave out from exhaustion, and a severe leg injury he sustained during the day. The pain from standing on it was almost enough for the person to black out. However, desperate to stay with the group, he tried to get up but couldn't. Half crawling and half walking the man tried to rise again. However, it was no use. Less than two minutes after he fell, the loud screech of a blaster shot echoed through the forest.

Upon reaching the camp, the man whom had last received the message immediately went to his bunk. Reaching under his makeshift pillow, he pulled out a slip of paper, a small plastic bag, and a pencil. Upon scribbling the message on the paper, he shoved it in the bag. Stepping out of the tent, he quietly slipped along the shadows to the back left tent pole. Kneeling down, he immediately began scooping out handfuls of dirt until he had a small hole deep enough for the bag. Nervously, he looked around one last time before burying the bag and running back to the tent. He got lucky. Less than two minutes later, there was a random "peek in" where a couple droids stepped into the barracks and made sure that everyone was there.

It wasn't until a little after 1 am that someone came to pick up the message. Ducking between the trees, and picking his way through the undergrowth, Agent Garner moved. The surrounding forest was near pitch black, but the rainforest was alive with noise that he hoped would cover his movements. After an hour and a half of walking, he made it to the fence line. This is where he stopped. Settling into the thick undergrowth, Agent Garner scanned area around the barracks. His only real obstacle was a razor wire fence. However, that wasn't an issue. What he needed to be sure of was that there was no changes in the droids routines or other things to suggest a trap.

After determining it to be safe, he inched over to the fence. It took a couple minutes, but he found a pile of loosely piled leaves, sticks, and other plant life. Pulling it away he found the hole he was looking for. It wasn't big, but it would let him through the fence. With a sigh, he dropped onto his stomach and waited for a patrol of droids to walk past the barrack in question. The second they had rounded the corner, he began squirming through the narrow hole. After what felt like forever, he got through and sprinted the distance to the back post. A brief search revealed a patch of recently disturbed dirt that marked the spot. Upon pulling a spade out of his belt, Agent Garner quickly dug up the bag, and filled in the hole. After that he squirmed back through the hole below the fence, replaced the pile of plants and took off into the night. Ducking between trees he worked his way to the edge of the road. Sticking to the shadows, he sprinted down the ditch on the side, while dodging patrols some more. Upon coming to the destroyed bridge, he jogged down the riverbank until he came up to an empty row boat.

Suddenly, four armed men in camo fatigues rose out of the brush.

"Did you get it?" asked the leader.

"Yes, Rafael. We have it. Now let's hope it was worth their risk," Garner answered as he revealed the bag.

"Good let's go. There's been a lot of patrols recently," Rafael stated as he cast a nervous glance back toward the bridge.

With a nod, Garner motioned for them to get in. The rest of the trip was made in silence as they crossed the river, stowed the boat, and made their way back to the caves that acted as their base of operations.

The entrance was pitch black. Knowing the route by heart, no one turned on a flashlight. This was for safety more than anything. The droid patrols weren't always limited to the road and tended to act on any suspicion, rational or not. Finally, after rounding a sharp corner and descending down a later were they greeted with the warm glow of a torch. Leaning against the opposite walls were two guards armed with AK-47s.

Garner and Rafael wove their way through the passages. Along the walls were a few men and women either sleeping or quietly working on their weapons. Most were gone on a raid to get weapons from a CIS supply dump.

Upon reaching the de facto command center, Agent Garner finally looked at the message. Every night for the past few weeks, Agent Garner had been slipping through to "check the mail". All notes went into that one hole, and Garner checked that hole nightly. While it came with its risks, it was a good way to get info like if and when they were getting supplies. Word of mouth was their link to the outside.

Upon reading it, Agent Garner rose his eyebrows. "Dark Angel" meant they were attempting a midnight supply drop. Alpha 1 was an emergency landing zone further up the ridge line by about five miles.

"Their not serious," Rafael mumbled in disbelief, "They could give us a way that close."

"Ya. Something's up," Garner agreed.

"You think it's a trap… false info put into the chain?" the man quizzed.

"No. Only two people on this continent know what that means. Both are in this room, and we haven't used the clearing ever," Garner answered, "However, something still is up. They know not to use that unless they absolutely have too."

"So. We go get our supplies?" asked Rafael in summary.

"Yep."

With that they went about their other tasks. That night there was a series of five attacks happened, one of which Agent Garner and Rafael lead. The group twelve planned on killing two bird with one stone. After reapplying face camo, the group was off.

Quietly the group moved parallel to the road, if it could even be called that. After a couple hours of fighting their way through the jungle, the group came up on their destination. It was a blind corner in the road. On the other side was a well guarded plasma bridge that the droids had erected. Wordlessly the group paused, where upon Rafael climbed up one of the trees. After what felt like forever, he got a decent view of the area. Using the night vision on the droid rifle he was carrying, Rafael began scanning the trees and ground for snipers. It didn't take long for him to find said droids. Three commando droids, all in trees.

Over the next few seconds, three shots rang out.

"Area's clear. Let's get this done," he radioed.

Unfortunately, a lack of supplies meant they were stuck using old walkie talkies, but at least they had something. Silently the group moved forward along the trees. Staying just out of sight, the group split in half. This put six men on each side of the road. Rafael's group got the honor of carrying the rocket launcher. After taking positions, the group waited for their targets. For thirty minutes they sat within a two hundred feet of the fourteen droids that guarded the bridge. However, they were awarded as an armored column of tanks and transports crossed onto the bridge. Clutching a DC-15s he had scavenged off a dead clone, Garner prepared to spring up. Suddenly radio on his belt gave a long squelch.

 _Foosh… BOOM!_

The explosion from the rocket blew the turret of the lead tank. With that tank down, they went to work. Agent Garner sprung up with his blaster rifle already level. There was a series of loud pops as he shot the first droid between the eyes. After adjusting his aim, he caught one in the side, and sprinted for the downed log a few yards in front of where he was. As he slid in, he watched as more droids were gunned down. By this point, more droids were running up to join the fray. Leaning up over the log, Garner emptied the rest of his magazine into the droids in front of him.

All around him, explosions began to erupt everywhere as the tanks began firing into the mess. Most of them were way off target. However, some were just a little to close for comfort. Rafael was running toward cover when an explosion happened nearby. The blast atomized one person, and sent two others flying with various, more than likely fatal, injuries. Rafael was sent stumbling as dust and debris rained down. As he ducked behind the large rock, he noted a lack of hearing in his left ear. The pain and blood trickling down confirmed that he had a blown eardrum.

Working through the pain, he continued fighting. Within five minutes they had forced their way to the edge of the bridge. Noting this, the armored column began to back up in an attempt to get off the bridge. However, it was too late. It took little time to get the explosives onto the plasma projectors. Upon getting clear, they hit the detonator. With a fiery explosion, the plasma projectors were destroyed. Suddenly the plasma bridge disappeared from underneath the vehicles. Gravity did the rest as all but three transports and a couple tanks were plunged into the river. Seeing their job done, the group took off into the woods before any reinforcements could show up.

Over the next day, everyone stuck to the caves. The attacks last night left the area littered with droids. Rafael and Agent Garner spent the time coordinating how to pull off the drop. There was a storm brewing which would give the helicopter cover. However, they still would need enough men to make sure they could quickly off load the cargo, and deal with any droid surprises. It was the general consensus that the droids were idiots unless they made the mistake of relying on that stupidity in a plan. Than Murphy's law takes over and screws everyone over.

"But wouldn't radar pick up a regular helicopter?" quizzed Rafael.

"No. Chances are they're using a stealth Black Hawk," Agent Garner answered.

"I see."

There was a look of understanding as he answered. However, Agent Garner couldn't help but give a knowing smirk.

 _Oh, you have no idea,_ he thought.

Having been a cop before the invasion, Rafael would've normally pressed for further details. However, when Agent Garner helped coordinating the resistance cells he made it quite clear that his past life was off limits. All Rafael knew was that he was a well connected CIA operative who was responsible for a lot of their supplies.

Finally, the time came.

"Now remember. Getting those supplies back to base is our first and only goal. The minute they leave the helicopter. Take them back here," Rafael stated.

After seeing a series of affirmative nods, the group moved out. After trekking up a well used game trail, they came across a natural clearing… Alpha 1. The site was just big enough for a Black Hawk to land, given the pilot put it straight down with next to no movement in any direction. Quietly the group spread out and made sure that the area was clear, before settling in for the half hour wait. Given that the droids reduced their patrols to the main roads at night, and they were way off the main roads, no one was overly worried. However, they also knew that assumptions were deadly and the distinctive sound of a chopper was going to draw attention.

Finally, the familiar drone of a helicopter could be heard overhead. Looking up, Agent Garner was unable to spot the blacked out helicopter until it was almost at the tree line. As the wheels touched the ground, the helicopter pilot shut it down so as not to draw unneeded attention. Immediately the doors flew open as the fighters raced forward to take the cargo. Tagging along behind, Agent Garner approached the crew chief.

"Shadow Hawk?" asked the man.

Startled that the man knew his ID code, Agent Garner could only nod his head in confirmation as he answered.

"Why?" he quizzed.

"I have orders to take you back to the USS Grafton," he answered quickly.

This caught him off guard.

"Hold on. I was dropped here to work with these people and provide intel. Now you want me to leave… now no less?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes." answered the man.

By this point the last of the supplies were being unloaded.

"Under whose authority?" Agent Garner pressed.

"Director Baits, sir. The captain will brief you in full," he answered quickly, "However, we need to leave, now."

It was clear the man was growing nervous.

"Alright."

Upon informing a not-so-happy Rafael what was going on, he climbed in the chopper. Silently he stared into the black as the helicopter disappeared into the moonless night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi, everyone. Sorry about the wait on this chapter. My schedule exploded and I had to figure out how to tie up some lose ends that I forgot to tie up earlier. Anyway, I think everyone will enjoy this one a lot. Sidious and the Jedi are making their moves and the battle lines are being drawn. The only thing I would ask is that if anyone knows how call signs are assigned and work in the military would they please let me know if I messed them up? I had a heck of time finding that info, and had to, more or less, wing it. So, with that sit back, enjoy, and please review.**

 **Without further ado, I give you chapter 10:**

* * *

 **(Coruscant: Senate district)**

Jedi were renowned for being strong yet peaceful… merciful but firm, and not easily persuaded to violence. In all of Padme's time as a politician she had not seen a Jedi lash out in anger. However, today, in the Supreme Chancellor's office, she was starting to think she might just live to see it.

"You what?" Calmly demanded Master Windu.

The calmness of his question was off putting given the rage that flashed into his eyes.

For his part Palpatine didn't flinch as he responded, sympathy lacing his words, "I'm sure you understand that with Durge's latest string of attacks it was necessary to reallocate some forces-"

"Reallocate some forces?! You re deployed the entire damn military! On top of that you didn't talk to us before doing it," Windu snapped.

"Unfortunately in war one doesn't always have time to-"

"You had time. You can't tell me the decision couldn't wait an hour or two. Currently we have multiple units going out at half strength and barely recovered from earlier campaigns and ops. Commander Bly's unit just went out with General Secura, who barely got out of a coma four days ago, and is barely combat operational. Not to mention we have two of our best legions missing and you just reassigned their admiral. What in the hell were you thinking?" Windu continued to rant as he rose out of his chair.

While Master Windu may come across as cold and detached to most people, he was actually quite protective of the people around him, and even more so when it came to his fellow Jedi.

Seeing him take a step toward the Chancellor's desk, Padme decided that it was probably a good time to intervene.

"Gentlemen, I understand that emotions are running high, and that communication can be hard," she stated as she placed her hand on the Jedi's shoulder, firmly guiding him back, "I was there when the decision was made. While it was unfortunate that this happened, Chancellor Palpatine is right. The Senate left him with no choice, but to act then. The Senate's running scared. We haven't seen an offensive this brutal or successful ever in the war. You may not like it Master Windu, but for better or worse, what's done is done," she stated.

"I'm afraid she's right," added Palpatine with a sigh, "With any luck we can might be able to fix our strategy. However, in the meantime I hope that you will respect the Senate's decision in the matter."

Master Windu let out a sigh. For a moment it looked like he might be relenting. Then he re steeled his gaze.

"We'll see," he answered coldly.

"You're not seriously considering going against the Senate's orders, are you?" asked the Chancellor as he raised his eyebrows.

 _Yes. Yes, I am,_ he thought but thought better of saying it out loud.

"That's up to the council, not me," he answered instead.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the weight of what he just said set in. Finally, he let out another sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, there's nothing more that can be done at the moment. As such, I should be leaving. I'm due to ship out within the next few days and must prepare," Master Windu concluded.

"Very well. I do pray that your council would approach this matter with care," the Chancellor answered.

Padme spoke up before Master Windu could respond.

"I'll walk you out."

With a nod, Windu let her lead him out. As they walked down the hall, she suddenly pulled the Jedi Master to the side.

"I haven't been able to hear much in the way of exactly who's where. Have you heard anything from Skywalker or Kenobi?" she asked.

Mace Windu paused as he considered his answer. While he didn't know the extent, he knew that her and Skywalker had an attachment. Usually the council would've said something by now, but she seemed to be what kept him centered, and frankly, sane at times. Because of this they took the stance of "What they didn't know wouldn't kill them.", and now he was struggling with an answer.

"Truthfully, we haven't for a while. Last we heard from them was over a month ago. They deployed together into wild space in an attempt to intercept Grievous. However, Grievous broke through Yularren's fleet, and trapped them planet side. Intelligence still has Grievous in system, but with the lack of communication we've been forced to assume the worse," he finally answered.

Though she kept a professional look, Master Windu felt her flood the force with sadness and dread.

"I understand. What of attempts to take back this planet?" she asked after a brief pause.

"We're trying. Master Koth was suppose to help, but his fleet got attacked, killing everyone. We almost had another attempt ready to go. Then this happened," He answered.

"Beyond the painfully obvious, what would you say the strategic importance of their mission was?" she quizzed.

She knew when they married that there was a chance that he could die and she was prepared for that. However, if there was a chance that she could save him, than she would take it.

"Very. From his current position, Grievous is in striking position of several key planets and a short hop would put him in striking distance of Coruscant itself," he answered.

"I understand. However, it seems that with this latest assault, people have forgotten about our good general," she answered with a bitter edge, "I don't like what the Senate has done, but I am asking that you be patient. I'll see what I can do about freeing up some forces to help them. In the meantime, a power struggle inside our government is the last thing we need."

"Our thanks. Is there anything else we can provide?" Master Windu asked.

He didn't like politics, but it looked like that was their only option at the moment.

"Yes. I need to know if you hear anything. I can tell you that they won't put a force together for a couple dead men," she answered.

As much as she hated to say it, she knew she was right. Three years of war had made the Senate detached and quite jaded. Two Jedi weren't going to matter in a war full of dead Jedi.

"Understood. I will let you know if the situation changes," he answered.

"Good. Now let us hope that we can put an end to this," she stated as she moved to part ways.

Taking his cue, Master Windu quickly bowed before leaving for the temple.

 **(USCGC Sherman: Thirty miles off the Louisiana Coast)**

When the CIS attacked, the US scattered their Naval and Coast Guard ships so that the droids wouldn't just blown them up in harbor. Now many of them, working out of foreign ports, are playing limited roles in the fighting. Using the clouds and storms for cover, ships would bombard targets and ferry supplies and personnel from one place to another. The Sherman was no exception to this. Except now, it was making a suicide run to deliver one man.

At the moment a tropical storm battered the 378 foot Coast Guard Cutter. Sheets of rain flooded the deck, while wind and high waves practically threw the ship from wave to wave. For the last twelve hours, droids had been the least of their worry as the crew tried to keep the ship afloat. Agent Garner confined himself to his quarters and continued to pour over his plans for the mission. He knew the mission and plan inside and out by now, but decided it was best to stay out of the way as the soaking wet crew worked furiously at their jobs.

The mission was simple. Command needed to get a signal out to the Republic military and planned to tap into the Separatists' comms to get around the jammers. However, they needed a way to physically connect their network to that of the CIS. Agent Garner's job was to insert the half inch device that would allow them to do that. Usually, due to his distance, he wouldn't have been picked but all of the other agents were tied up at the moment.

He slowly became aware that the ship wasn't rocking as badly as it was before. He could still hear the torrents of rain but it appeared that the storm was slowing down. He presently became aware of the ship making a sharp turn portside. With a sigh he picked up his primary weapon. It was code named "Saber 4". The name "Saber" came from the round it fired. The assault rifle was fresh from DARPA and fired a special .308 round. What made it special was that it had a miniature, and relatively weak, EMP charge inside the bullet. The idea was that the bullet would enter a droid and explode, damaging the droids circuits and killing it. The "4" referred to the fact that the rifle was basically an M4 that was changed to accommodate the larger round. Some of the differences were shock absorbers in the stock to reduce the recoil and a sturdier construction. His, unlike the other few that were being tested, had a hybrid sight that nearly doubled the range at which he could hit something or someone.

The only other thing that was different was his body armor which was an improved version of the body armor that the SEAL teams had used when they set off the nuke over San Francisco. The rest was his basic tactical load out of different types of grenades, various tools, and a colt 1911 .45 for his side arm.

Agent Garner was finishing up reloading his last magazine when there was a pound on his door.

"Enter," he called.

Immediately a Lieutenant poked his head inside.

"We're near the insertion site. Captain want's you down at the flight deck within the next ten minutes. We're going to have to drop you and run. This op has us in a pretty tight situation," the man stated.

"Understood. I'll be down in five," he stated.

With a nod, the man left. After he was gone, Agent Garner began donning his gear. True to his word he was down to the flight deck in five minutes. Moving along the side of the deck, he watched as the flight crew did a final check of their stealth helicopter. The lights on the deck added an eerie contrast to the pitch black, night sky with the rain adding a real danger to the eeriness.

"Agent Garner," called a voice from behind him.

Turning around, the agent squinted as he tried to make out the face. However, he caught a look as the man walked past a light.

"Yes Captain," Agent Garner responded expectantly.

"We've had a change of plans," the captain stated, "As you know, we're at the front of one hell of a hurricane. The Marines in New Orleans were hoping that they could trap the droids in the path it. However, our target ship is shelling the crap out of our men. If it stays, they will be able to avoid the worst of it. Your job has turned to asset denial. Destroy the ship and get back behind our lines. They have a different target in mind."

Agent Garner sighed as he thought things over. This was quite a change in plans, and one he wasn't prepared for.

"Alright, but with no team and no nuke how do I- oh wait- never mind. I know what I'll do," Agent Garner answered as he formed a plan in his mind, "Same insertion plan?"

"Yes. Dust off in two minutes," the Captain confirmed.

"Alright. Let's go give them hell."

 **(Main Defensive Line: Twenty Miles South of Medford, Oregon)**

 _BOOM!_

The explosion sent Lieutenant Pierce stumbling as a tree to his right splintered. John threw himself to the ground inside the trench as he tried to shield his face from the wood splinters. There was a loud crash as the tree fell overhead. With as shake of his head, John fought to regain his footing in the rain soaked trench.

Suddenly a volley of lasers slammed into the wall of the trench right in front of him. Upon bringing his rifle to bear, John filled the offending droids full of bullets. Adjusting his aim, he continued pouring fire on the droids that were trying to work their way up the hills. Droid after droid went down as John and the rest of his platoon continued shoot at the attackers. Behind him there were more several _Crack!... Boom!_ 's as Republic and U.S. tanks traded shots with those of the Separatists.

Suddenly a figure in black robes leapt over the trench. Standing wide in the open, he began using his blue lightsaber to cover the men that were retreating. The droids began to focus all of their attention on him, which was both a blessing and a curse. It was great that it took a lot of the pressure off of John's platoon and Torrent Company, but bad in the sense that they were slowly overwhelming the General.

"This is Shadow 3-1, to Anvil actual. We, or more specifically General Skywalker, could use any extra covering fire you can give," Lieutenant Pierce called into his radio as he ducked below the top of the trench wall.

"Roger. Anvil 1 and Anvil 2 will cover with the .50's. That's all we can do that close to the trench," crackled a response.

"Solid copy. Light 'em up," John answered as he changed magazines.

John popped back up just in time to watch as the droids in the area around Skywalker seemed to explode as .50 caliber rounds ripped through them. The only droids that were lucky enough to escape the weapons fire were quickly hacked apart by Anakin.

John watched out of the corner of his eye as Rex slid into the trench immediately to his left. However, John set his sights on a squad of B1's that were charging up the hill. Somehow they seemed to be lucky enough to avoid the fire from the tanks, and Anakin's lightsaber strikes. This made them his responsibility. Shifting his aim, John was about to fire when he got an idea. The droids were clumped together... big mistake.

 _Rule number 1: Spread out,_ John thought as he loaded the grenade launcher on his rifle.

John felt the rifle buck as the grenade went flying.

 _Woomp… Boom!_

All that was left was bits and pieces as the squad was blown apart by the blast. However, they were quickly replaced by more droids. John quickly switched back to throwing lead down range as he redirected his men's fire. Soon the .50 caliber fire began to fade as the tanks were forced to focus their attention in a different place. Slowly the droids began to force their way forward. Soon Anakin was pushed back to the front of the trench as he continued to bat away the lasers. He felt his stomach knot as he braced himself for the inevitable order to fall back. However, that never happened.

"This is Demon Hunter to Torrent 1 Actual, we are in your airspace and ready to assist. However, we can't see crap through the trees. Is there anyway you can mark friendlies? Over," announced a voice over the radio.

"Roger. This is Torrent 1 Actual. IR strobes will mark the line. Everything South of the strobes is enemy," Anakin yelled into his comm, over the noise.

"Copy that. Standing by," the pilot concluded.

Soon the order went out across the line for troops to begin activating the IR strobes.

"This is Torrent 1 Actual. Do you see the strobes?" Anakin asked after a couple agonizing minutes.

"Affirmative. I can confirm visual. Watch your heads down there. Things are about to get loud," the Pilot answered.

"Understood. Have fun," Anakin concluded as he jumped into the trench. All across the lines, clones and "regulars" alike began to duck and cover their ears. By this point in the fight, everyone was aware of the hell that was about to be unleashed.

 _BABOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!_

John felt himself sink further to the ground as he covered his ears. Overhead mud and debris went flying before raining down in torrents. In front of the droids and their tanks alike were all blown to pieces or crushed as tree were splintered and whole chunks of the mountain face were blown in every which direction. The very ground felt like it was going to come apart the overhead C-130 gunship threw down everything from 30 mm Gatling gun rounds to 105 mm howitzer rounds. Next to him, for at least the hundredth time this campaign, Rex and Anakin found themselves excessively glad they weren't on the receiving end of this world's heavy weapons. Slowly the ground quit shaking as the C-130 pilot explained that they had to break off due to enemy fighters moving to intercept.

Immediately the soldiers scrambled to their feet as they prepared for the attack that never came. The silence was unnerving as the soldiers stared at the killing field. Millions of droid pieces were scattered everywhere while several tanks and tree stumps sat burning on the top and down the opposite side of the mountain. Noting the lack of counterattack, Command demanded all call signs to call in. After reporting the status of his company as "Combat effective", Lieutenant Pierce listened as everyone sounded off.

"This is Torrent 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over."

"This is Shadow 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over."

"This is Eagle 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over"

"This is Rancor 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over."

"This is Anvil 1 Actual… Present and combat effective. Over."

Lieutenant Pierce felt his heart leap as he listened to each unit sound off. They had done it. They had held off the droids in what appeared to be their first major victory. Not only had they held them off, but they could do it again if they had to. As the last call signs checked in, cheers ran up and down the line as clones and "regulars" alike briefly celebrated their victory.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone. So, I had a burst of inspiration, and as such decided to get this chapter done. It's relatively short, but I hope everyone enjoys it. So, please sit back, enjoy, and please review.**

 **So without further ado, I give you chapter 11.**

* * *

 **(1,000 feet above Louisiana)**

Agent Garner found himself fiddling with the silencer on his rifle as he tried to ignore the bobbing and weaving of the chopper. Outside, the wind and rain, though better than before, continued to hammer the chopper. The drone of the helicopter was broken up by the frequent blast of thunder. More than once the inside of the helicopter was lit up as a streak of lightning shot down near them. The crew did their best to act casual, however the occasional bout of swearing from the cockpit gave away their nervousness.

"Five minutes to drop," the pilot finally called, "We're going dark."

Agent Garner watched as the crew chief flipped down his night vision goggles. In the same moment, all of the lights went out. Taking the hint, Agent Garner flipped down his own set, quickly gave the silencer one last twist to ensure it's tightness, and slung the rifle behind him. After that he got up and made his way to the back of the cockpit.

Looking out, he could see the orange and red glow of the city… or at least what was left of it. By now the droids and Marines had spent a week going back and forth. Each round of defense and counterattacks involved the liberal use of heavy munitions, which left the city completely raised with only a handful of half destroyed, flaming structures and two bridges left standing. The battle had gotten to the point that the Marines were forced to napalm a large chunk of the eastern half of the city just to hold onto what was left, and fall back across the river.

In contrast to all of this, the CIS cruiser in question ominously sat in silence above the city completely untouched. Ther cruiser was all the more intimidating now that all one could see was the marker lights on the hull and the orange glow on the bottom. It could almost be said that the ship's psychological effects were greater than the actual damage that the ship could inflict. Agent Garner felt his stomach knot at the thought of having to sneak his way through it.

That was when an idea hit him.

"Hey, pilot," he called.

"Ya?"

"Instead of trying to put me in the city, why not put me on that cruiser's portside wing?" Agent Garner asked.

He knew it was quite a change in plans, but he felt it was for the best. There was a moment of silence as the pilot rolled the question around in his head.

"We could do it, but if we get lit up by one of those marker lights or a droid sentry craft we're done for," the pilot finally answered.

"Ok. Let's make it happen," Agent Garner concluded.

"You got it."

For the next couple minutes they stayed their current course. Then Agent Garner felt himself tense up as the helicopter banked hard to the right before coming back around to the left.

"Hey, give me a view, would you?" Agent Garner asked the crew chief.

With a silent nod man pulled open the door. Looking out, Agent Garner was forced to remove his night vision goggles due to the two flashing marker lights on the wing. It quickly became clear that the pilot was trying to use them as a reference but avoid them at the same time. The result was the chopper moving at an angle that Agent Garner didn't know it could do.

"Alright, here we go," called the crew chief.

He held his right hand out in a signal to wait. Agent Garner braced himself in the doorway. After a couple seconds, the crew chief firmly tapped his shoulder. Upon seeing that he had the agent's attention, he counted down with his fingers.

 _5… 4… 3… 2… 1_

"Go! Go! Go!" he yelled.

Willing himself not to think about it, Agent Garner stepped off the side of the Blackhawk. His stomach dropped as he jumpedonto the wing. He had barely hit the ground before he heard the helicopter pulling away. Shaking off his sudden wave of nervousness, Agent Garner pulled up his black balaclava, drew his silenced Saber 4 and walked down the length of the wing. The wind and rain made for slow going. More than once he slipped on the wet, and smooth metal. After what felt like forever, he stepped onto the main part of the ship. He was almost instantly met with the sight of a droid patrol. After a series of nuclear attacks on the ships, the CIS started having droid patrols pace the outside of the ships.

Agent Garner quickly hit the deck do to a lack of actual cover. Quietly, he planted his crosshairs on the lead droid's head. The gun let out a cough as the bullet sailed into the B1. The results were ugly as the droid's head was shredded by the round. Immediately the droids went on alert, but it was too late. He made quick work of the rest of the squad before they could find him. Rising, he quickly hid the bodies of the droids before moving down the length of the deck, while avoiding a couple other patrols. The less droids that went missing meant that there was less of a chance that they would notice anything wrong.

After what felt like forever, Agent Garner found the access point he was looking for. Mentally he rehearsed the number that he needed to put in. He would have one shot, and it was a long number. With a sigh, he quickly punched the number into the control pad. The response was instantaneous as the blast door snapped open. After using a flexi cam to check for patrols, Agent Garner dropped into the passageway. He quickly moved into the shadow's before pulling out what looked like a really small, concave tablet. After strapping it to his arm, Agent Garner called up a map of the ship before trying to orientate himself. He quickly set a waypoint for the bridge and got moving. Using the map as a guide, he worked his way through the ship. Despite attempts not to, Agent Garner was forced to kill several droids. Luckily most of what found were B1s. He knew it was a long shot, but he hoped that all of the other droids were deployed to the surface.

After what felt like forever, he reached entrance of the bridge. This is where his luck with droids ran out. Standing at the blast doors were a couple B2s. Their blaster arms were folded back at the moment, which would give him a couple extra seconds when he rounded the corner. However, that still wouldn't be a lot of time. Agent Garner quickly stowed his flexi cam and drew his Saber 4 as he mentally rehearsed his moves. Without warning he stepped out into the middle of the passageway, rifle leveled. The rifle bucked three times as a burst of rounds tore into the center of the droid. Without waiting to see the droid hit the ground, Agent Garner adjusted his aim to the next droid. The droid had just enough time to light off two inaccurate shots before three bullets killed it. As he punched in the access code, Agent Garner unclipped a couple flash-bangs. He swung to the side as the doors snapped open. The same instant, Agent Garner tossed the flash-bangs. They wouldn't be as effective with droids as they are on humans, but they would still work well enough.

 _BAM! BAM!_

Agent Garner immediately strode onto the bridge. He immediately shot the tactical droid in the chest multiple times, killing it. Then moving right to left he cleared the bridge. There were a series of muffled pops as he killed the first few droids. He leapt down the access steps just in time to avoid a couple lasers that were aimed at his head. However, he was quickly greeted with an angry commando droid. In one fluid motion, he ducked under a slash from it's sword, slung rifle on his back, and came back up behind it. Upon snaking his arms around the droid's neck, he wrenched it really hard before slamming its head into the bulkhead as hard as he could. That move would've normally broken everything (from the windpipe to the spine and arteries) inside a human before having their head bashed in due to said bulkhead. However, Agent Garner noted with worry that it had barely been enough to kill the droid.

Shaking it off, he blitzed forward. Throwing himself at the next droid, he quickly disarmed and killed it, before turning the droid's blaster on the rest of the droids in the bridge. Moving from cover to cover, he cleared the bridge while killing everything from B1s to a few commando droids.

Seeing the droids were all dead, Agent Garner quickly went to work. If the droids didn't already know something was wrong, they soon would. Working quickly he first tapped into the internal systems and locked down the bridge and turned the automated defenses against the droids. If they tried to get in the bridge before he was ready, they would get a nasty surprise. Once he was done, it would take them a while to regroup, let alone cut their way through to the bridge. After that, he quickly turned to the steering and fire controls. After struggling to figure out how they worked, Agent Garner opened up his comms.

"This is Phantom to Baseplate. Do you copy?" Agent Garner asked into his comm.

"Roger. This is Baseplate we copy," crackled a response.

"I'm sitting at the fire control center of a separatist cruiser. Give me a target, and I'll give you a crater. Over," Agent Garner stated with a thin smile.

"Roger. There's a large concentration of droids moving up off your starboard side. I'll sent you coordinates," the man stated.

There was no mistaking the joy in the man's tired voice.

"Copy that. Send me two different sets. I need a place to land this heap," Agent Garner stated.

"Understood. I just sent them," the man answered after a minute.

"Roger. Phantom copies all. Hold onto your hats down there," Agent Garner acknowledged as he turned the ship and her guns toward the first target.

After a little over a minute, the ship's batteries began to open up on the droids below it. Agent Garner almost felt sorry for them as he went to work grabbing what info he could off the ship. Suddenly, a muffled blast echoed through the bridge. A brief look at a control panel confirmed his suspicions. The droids had regrouped and were blasting their way toward the bridge. As it was, Agent Garner really didn't want to be there when the droids got to there. After another minute and muffled blast, he decided that the show was over. He went over to the forward viewport and planted a series of shaped charges. After making sure they primed and ready to go, he shoved the tactical droid's head in his pack, plugged the second set of coordinates into the steering controls, and ducked behind the durasteel lip of the upper observation platform.

"This is Phantom to Baseplate. Show's over. Sorry. I'm going for exit, plan B. Over," Agent Garner reported.

"Roger. You got them good. I don't think there's anything left down there. A recon team will meet you at the drop site. Over," the man replied.

"Copy that. See you soon."

With that, Agent Garner covered his ears and pulled the trigger. Due to the nature of the mission, he had decided to bring a parachute with him, not expecting to use it. However, he had left himself with no other viable option.

 _BOOM!_

The entire bridge shook as a large chunk of the forward viewport was blown out. All that was left in its wake was a gaping hole into a stormy oblivion. Again Agent Garner forced himself not to think too hard on what he was about to do. It was dangerous and quite frankly, most would label it as stupid and suicidal. Parachuting into an active warzone was bad enough, but doing it in this weather was asking for trouble.

"Oh well. As long as the winds don't shift…" he mumbled to himself as he dove out of the hole.

Almost instantly the wind and rain tore at his body, threatening to throw him into an uncontrollable tumble. Agent Garner, gritted his teeth as he reached for the cord. After what felt like forever, but wasn't even a second, he found it. He pulled it as hard as he could and felt himself jerked up as his parachute deployed. For the next several minutes he was too busy trying to stay alive to watch as the cruiser dove, nose first, into the ground ripping itself apart as it did.

After several more minutes Agent Garner hit the ground. However, it was a ways from where he wanted to be and it took over an hour to get to the drop site. It wasn't until early the next morning that he was finally behind friendly lines again.

 **(Military Command Center: Southern Oregon)**

Anakin poured himself a cup of lukewarm coffee before walking into the small town hotel across the street. Due to the fact that it was still pretty well intact, but hidden in the trees, Command had decided to make this their command center. He nodded to the MPs guarding the door, as he walked down to the basement. Having been an old Cold War era bomb shelter meant that it was relatively well protected and as such became the communication center. It was cramped but it did it's job. Waiting for him was General Morrison. While he held an unnerving poker face, Anakin could feel in the force that he was a very worried and tired man. As if to prove the fact, Anakin watched as the man polished off his fifth cup of coffee.

"Well, I guess. Ready to get this over with?" Asked the General as he set down his empty cup.

"Yes. Let us begin," Anakin answered as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Good," concluded the General before turning to one of the techs that were off to the side, "Thomas, if you will, please."

"Yes sir."

As if on cue they were greeted by President Damian

"Good afternoon Gentlemen," Began the President, "I'll keep things simple. What's your situation?"

Anakin quickly threw a look at the General.

Taking the hint, the General cleared his throat before answering, "We're combat effective. The line has held. However, with the Droid's taking Portland and pushing south we're slowly getting caught in an oversized pincer maneuver. Unless we have some unknown ace up our sleeves. We may need to begin assessing our options for pulling out."

"I see. If you can have a few more days, we have a possible ace up our sleeves. Operation Tombstone is finally coming together. It's not a ton but I would imagine that the ability to make it rain 16 inch shells on coastal targets may help," the President explained.

The General took a moment to connect the dots, but when he did his eyes lit up.

"Yes sir. However, if I may, where are those being fired from? We haven't used that ammo in years," the General pressed.

"Sorry General. Classified. You'll know soon enough," Damian answered with a smirk.

"Yes sir."

It was at that point Anakin decided to speak up.

"How is Operation Warlock going?" Anakin asked.

Being on the front line, he wasn't privy on all of the facts, but he wanted to know where they were with getting word out.

"It's proceeding. There was a delay due to the shift in the situation. We were forced to change targets. Our asset on the ground is moving on to a target up North. JTF 2 will get him behind the lines. From there he'll give us our comm signal," President Damian answered.

"I see. Best of luck to him," Anakin answered.

"Thanks. He'll need it," the President concluded.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone! I'm finally back. Sorry for the extremely long wait. I got stuck after the last chapter and ended up reconsidering a lot of things. Not to long ago I even nearly dropped the story completely, but remembering how I hate it when other people do that, I decided that I would finish this. So, after much thought, I have the next chapter.**

 **However, before I start, there are some things I need to note.**

 **1) I am not going for total realism. I will try to keep it within the realm of disbelief. However, the premise of this story alone should tell you that I will have to play a little fast and loose with science. However, that said, I will try to be consistent and if I'm not please tell me. Also, if something is absolutely driving you nuts, let me know and I'll see about fixing it.**

 **2)I know this is a world wide event we are talking about. I also know that I have centered around the US. I will be honest. This is because I am American. I was born and raised here. I know the language, customs, and- to a point- the military. I may show bits in other countries, but out of fear of making a total idiot out of myself, don't expect a ton.**

 **So with all of that covered, I give you chapter 12.**

* * *

 **(CIS Invisible Hand: high orbit over Earth: three days later)**

General Grievous watched happily as seven more ships dropped into orbit around the planet. Each one was carrying a full complement of droids, all ready for immediate deployment. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that Dooku had seen it fit to personally arrive with the fleet. Grievous didn't bother to turn as the door snapped open, thinking that it was one of his droids.

"General Grievous," growled a deep voice from behind him.

Startled, Grievous spun around before bowing his head in respect, "Count Dooku. Your presence here is most unexpected."

"Spare me the pleasantries General," Dooku stated with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I am here because of the pathetic job you seem to be doing at securing our newest investment."

Grievous felt himself flood with anger, and he was forced to bite back his rather violent response due to who he was dealing with. However, that didn't stop him from protesting.

"My lord, I assure you that all is well in hand. The humans are desperate and on their back heal. We underestimated their resourcefulness. However, I have remedied that already," Grievous argued.

"That's not what your tactical droid has said, General," Count Dooku calmly stated.

Grievous suddenly felt the urge to rip his tactical droid to pieces and would have if it had happened to be within arms reach. Seeing as it was, Grievous settled for glaring at the Sith Lord.

"That tactical droid wouldn't know progress if it got hit in the head with it," Grievous barked.

Dooku didn't flinch but slowly dropped his hand to his lightsaber as Grievous closed the small space between them. He was under no illusion as to who he was dealing with. The pair fell into a tense silence as Dooku's eyes wandered up and down the General slowly and methodically.

After a handful of seconds, Dooku spoke, "Perhaps it would be more convincing if you were to produce a lightsaber to go with it."

Grievous stared at Dooku for another moment, processing what he was implying. Count Dooku was about to say something, but Grievous broke the silence instead.

"Yes my lord. I will begin preparations," Grievous replied with another bow before barking orders to the crew.

 **(South-central British Columbia, Canada)**

The line of trucks rumbled down the paved road, or at least what was left of it. The pavement was ripped up and dotted with craters from a multitude of bombing runs. One each side of the road were the twisted and charred remains of various vehicles and tanks. Strewn throughout the twisted metal and in the ditches were the bodies of those that had met their end on this road. The burned and jagged tree trunks lining the road added to the foreboding atmosphere.

Agent Garner looked out the passenger side window of the lead MRAP as they worked their way down the road. Without headlights it was slow going, but neither Sergeant Jackman next to him or any of the other drivers were willing to use any kind of light, and the full moon ensured that they didn't have too.

"What the hell?" mumbled the Sergeant as he leaned forward in his seat.

It took only a second to find what the man was talking about. Up ahead three military trucks sat in the road. Two were blown to either side while the other was sat overturned and laying across the road.

"This is Eagle 1, we've got an obstacle in our path. It looks like we now know what happened to that missing convoy. Eagles 1 through 6, we're up," Sergeant Jackman stated solemnly as he brought the vehicle to a stop.

"Copy that. Watch yourselves out there. We can't see anything past those vehicles," crackled a voice over his radio.

At the same time the back doors flew open as a squad of Spec Ops soldiers poured out. After adjusting the hold on his rifle, Agent Garner went to get out.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" barked the Sergeant.

"To help," Agent Garner asked as he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"No, I need someone to drive the MRAP. That hunk of metal isn't going to move itself," the Sergeant replied before a playful glint filled his eyes, "Besides I'll be damned before I trust a Yankee with our dead… Especially a Yankee spook."

Despite the fact that the man was joking, Agent Garner couldn't suppress an annoyed roll of the eyes. Being in the CIA had its perks, but it came at the price of being insulted in every way possible and after a while, even in joking, it got old.

Outside, the squad, all carrying Saber 4's, formed up as they approached the destroyed vehicles.

"Alright, spread out and get dog tags. Unfortunately, we're in a hurry so bodies are going to have to stay," Sergeant Jackman ordered.

With a series of nods they went to work. With rifles raised they checked the vehicles and recovered the dog tags from the fallen. As the Sergeant went to check the first vehicle, a soft-top supply truck, he noticed something. He would never fully know what caused him to look down, but he quickly noticed a series of parallel streaks. With a frown, he clicked on his flashlight just long enough to confirm his suspicions. His eyes widened as he snapped off his light.

"Watch it. This truck's been dragged into place," He quickly barked through the radio.

"Copy that," crackled a response.

He became aware of the faint sound of the mounted .50 cal.'s turning as they watched the area. From inside the convoy, the soft crunch of gravel could be heard as more soldiers got out and started to help with security. Upon determining that there were just the two soldiers in the cab and several destroyed crates, he yanked off the men's dog tags, let out a sigh, and turned to the truck.

"Agent Garner, bring the truck up," he ordered.

"Understood."

There was a sharp grind as Agent Garner found the right gear. Then he slowly drove it forward and to the side as he tried to line it up to move the scrapped truck.

 _BOOM!_

The back left corner of the MRAP was instantly shredded in a ball of fire as the shockwave sent a couple soldiers flying. The force of the blast was strong enough to send the multitoned, armored transport several inches off the ground and throw it four feet into the ditch. The MRAP had barely stopped moving before the first shots rang out. It was a series of three simultaneous sniper shots that took out the men on the remaining machine guns. At the same moment two squads of commando droids rushed out of the brush on the left side. Using the advantage of surprise, the droids rushed the group. Instantly the rest of the soldiers rushed out as they struggled to take control of the situation.

Sergeant Jackman's squad, have abandoned their previous mission, joyed the fray as they engaged the two squads of droids. Sergeant Jackman turned just in time to step sideways of a laser shot. Raising his rifle, he shot the droid in the head at least three times before shifting his aim and emptying his magazine into the next droid.

* * *

Inside the overturned MRAP, Agent Garner found himself facing up at the nighttime sky, through his driver's door window, or at least where that window had been. In the blast, it had shattered into the side of his face and barely missed his eyes. His initial response was panic as he heard gunshots and laser fire. He knew exactly what had happened. It was the oldest trick in the book and everyone, including himself fell for it.

 _Of course that's probably why it's the oldest,_ he thought as he cut free of his seatbelt.

His eyes widened as he realized his mistake. Near instantly, gravity slammed him into the ground that was six feet below him. As he fell, he ended up pulling his Saber 4 down with him, which sent his world black.

* * *

Outside, one of the members of Eagle team sprinted from cover to cover unnoticed. All of the fighting was funneled to the front of the convoy which left an opportunity if he could make it happen. Staying low, he did his best not to draw attention to himself as he slid into the ditch behind the disabled MRAP.

With a sigh, he clutched his rifle, crouched, and ran as the rest of the men, or at least those left, kept the droids occupied. Using the blast of a frag grenade and the resulting confusion to mask his movements, he sprinted to the back doors of the rear MRAP. He quickly wrapped his arms around the limp gunner and drug him out of the way. Taking his place, the JTF soldier spun the gun around, ensured that a round was chambered, and took aim.

As the gun came alive, two droids were instantly shredded by the armor piercing rounds. Those that immediately die were forced to dive for cover as the soldier sprayed hot lead across the area. One tried to duck beside the Humvee, but was quickly picked off as he shot through the Humvee and blew apart its head. Taking advantage of the situation the Eagle Team and the other few soldiers pressed a counter attack. The machine gun cut off their escape as the soldiers forced them into the left ditch. Within the space of fifteen minutes the firefight started and ended. Sergeant Jackman solemnly began pulling dog tags and assessing the situation. The Captain in charge, as well as most of the others, were dead which meant that he was officially in charge. They had successfully repelled the attack, but it came at the cost of all except maybe ten soldiers, the JTF team included.

Most of the team was soon working at clearing a path through the small mine field while Sergeant Jackman and a couple other soldiers went over to see about Agent Garner. Inside the overturned MRAP, Agent Garner had just come to and was trying to untangle himself. He shook his head as he pushed himself up. The motion hurt from the half dozen bruises he had, but he made it work. He grabbed his rifle and went to toss it over the side. He stopped mid motion as Sergeant Jackman's head appeared through the driver's window.

"Hey, watch where you're pointing that thing," he protested, though the annoyance failed to reach his eyes.

"Well, would you mind taking it?" Agent Garner asked, ignoring the comment.

"Aren't you spooks suppose to be self-sufficient?" he asked jokingly as he grabbed the rifle.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we have three hands," Agent Garner answered as he pulled himself up out of the vehicle.

He noted with some worry that about every part of his body had protested the move. A shot of pain through his left leg forced him to sit on the door. Despite his efforts, there was no hiding the pain. As a response Sergeant Jackman's eyes worked their way across the agent, taking in every detail.

"I want a medic to look you over," he stated.

"I'm fine."

"That wasn't a question," the Sergeant countered, "It doesn't take fifteen minutes to climb out of a truck."

Agent Garner simply nodded as he climbed down.

"Fine, but only after we're moving," he agreed as felt a stab of pain course through his back.

Within minutes of that, they were on the road again. While they were going, a medic gave Agent Garner a look over. All things considered, he had come away unscathed. He had several cuts that needed patched up, a sprained ankle, and an an impressive assortment of bruises that were going to hurt like hell for the foreseeable future. Overall, it was just another day in another hell hole.

Within a few hours of that, they were rolling into a military base. It wasn't much more than an ammo dump with a command post in the basement of the town's city hall. As a small group of soldiers worked on unloading what was left of the equipment and assigning people, Agent Garner and the Spec Ops team made their way into the building. The only immediate light was from the rising rays of sunlight that poked in through the windows. They cast an ominous glow on the worn faces of the guards.

After what felt like forever, they were lead into a dimly lit room that was dominated by a large table with a map spread across it. He didn't look to carefully, but judging by first glace, Agent Garner guessed that things weren't going well. Behind the table was a grim faced General that he figured was clean shaven at one point. Currently he was sporting a day old stubble that ran quite contrary to his crisp uniform.

"At ease gentlemen," started the General.

This caused Agent Garner to look to his left. He hadn't even noticed the squad draw up into attention when they entered. At the command, he watched them relax slightly.

"I heard the results of the attack. Were there any other issues?" the General quizzed.

"No sir," Sergeant Jackman replied crisply.

"Good. Then let's begin," the General acknowledged, "Currently the threat of nuclear annihilation has forced the cruisers to cut back their use in combat roles, with a few even leaving for the safety of low orbit. However, this son of a bitch," -the General angrily stabbed his finger into the marker on his map that indicated a CIS cruiser- "is being rather prolific with its use of bombers."

"So, are we just nuking it?" asked the Sergeant.

"No. We can't. After San Francisco, the U.S. and Russia went on a week long nuclear binge. The amount of bombs detonated has left NASA nervous about the state of the atmosphere. Currently we are laying off for the moment. Not to mention, the ship is too close to our lines. If it comes down in an uncontrolled explosion, it'll hurt us as bad as it will hurt them," he replied with a hint of disappointment behind his professional mask, "So, we get to do this the hard way. The Cruiser is apart of a chain moving supplies to the surface. We have managed to obtain the security codes used to gain clearance for a shuttle. You will use it to get in close to the ship. From there, you will land on the upper hull of the ship and proceed to the bridge. That will be how you take it down."

The next several minutes were spent with Agent Garner listening as the Squad and General discussed the finer points of the plan. After they were dismissed, the General turned to Alex.

"Your task is unique," he noted, "You have to connect us to their communications system."

"Yes. If I am correct, it has to be on the Invisible Hand," he confirmed.

"Correct. It is not posing a direct problem to us, and thus is not on our hit list. Command needs that thing to be working, but wants the ability to destroy targets that are doing us immediate harm," he explained as he brought out a printed layout of the Invisible hand, "There is a central communication terminal there" -he pointed to a spot near the middle of the ship- "You are to proceed there from the central hangar bay. Insert the device, confirm that it works, and get the hell out. exfil will be self-determined."

Agent Garner nodded as he processed the info. There wasn't a lot to this. Most of the important info was covered in the briefing for the altered mission in New Orleans. As such they just needed to cover the issues of supplies and insertion.

He was informed that insertion would be with the help of a commandeered shuttle, while he would be getting ammo and supplies from the ammo dump that was down the block. The idea of a self-determined exfil was one of the many parts that Agent Garner didn't like. It meant that he was on his own for escaping. Not that he was surprised. Resources were thin.

"There is a target of interest on board," the General added at the end as he produced a picture of Grievous, "If you get a chance, take it. However, not at the expense of the primary mission."

"Understood. One last question… Do you have any high explosives?" Agent Garner asked with a twinkle in his eye.

The General slowly nodded his head as the unspoken questions rolled across his head. In the end, the man decided that he probably didn't want to know and sent the foreign agent away.

The walk to the ammo dump was quick but cold as rain began its descent. Upon entering, he was greeted with the last thing he expected. Two soldiers were leaning over a large wooden table with an assortment of tool and a couple computers. A closer look revealed a deactivated commando droid as the occupant of the table. Lined up along the side wall was a series of other deactivated commando droids with crudely painted red stripes down their torso and across the head.

"I see it's not just us getting creative," Agent Garner noted.

The man looked up and, noting the U.S. uniform, smiled.

"Yep. We figured that we would see how they like their own equipment turned against them. However," -he grunted as he pulled a piece of a bullet out of the head- "I'm afraid this one is a little too dead. For most of them, it's just a matter of rerouting the power lines and repairing a little of the superficial damage. However, the sniper was a little too dead on with this one."

"Hmm… Well good luck," Agent Garner concluded with a nod.

There was nothing else to be said or done. Knowing this, he simply proceeded and picked up his equipment. There was more ammo for his Saber-4, extra frag grenades, a small handful of C-4 bricks, a blasting cap, and some Republic charges.

With that covered, he made his way out past the town and into the woods. Waiting for him was a shuttle that was also guarded by a couple soldiers. This caused him to sigh in relief. Unlike the JTF, he wouldn't need to steal his ride. Upon showing his ID to the men, he made his way up the ramp and into the cockpit.

With a sigh, he climbed into the cockpit and took a second to ensure that he knew what and where all the controls were. He didn't realize it, but he caught his breath as he fired up the shuttle. Only after it was safely above the air and on an autopilot course for the Invisible Hand did he breathe normally again.

However, his semi relaxed state gave way to a knot of dread in his stomach as he saw all of the ships in the atmosphere. They sat there, fresh and full of troops waiting to finish off the planet. Agent Garner forced himself to focus as the flagship demanded his access code. Knowing time was of the essence, he quickly punched it in and waited for a response. Second by second, and mile by mile ticked by as he waited. He tightly gripped the controls as he prepared to dodge a volley of laser fire. At the last possible second, a light flashed green on his control board. That was his cue to proceed to the main hanger.

With a sigh of relief, he let the autopilot take over as it entered the hanger. While it landed, he produced two Republic charges and set them as proximity mines. What was even more relieving was the fact that the hanger was relatively empty. This mixed with the fact that he set it down in the rear corner near a set of blast doors was a blessing. There were some B1s milling around, but they seemed to be preoccupied. The few security droids that went to meet him would be an easy fix. As the ramp lowered, he ducked into the shadows and shut off the work lights. Curious about the sudden loss of lighting, the four droids entered. They saw him, but it was too late.

 _Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop._

The silence rifle coughed four times, producing four dead droids. He cringed as one fell into the entryway. As he rushed out the door, he activated the two charges, stuck them in the entryway and sprinted out. Staying to the shadows, and keeping himself low, Agent Garner willed himself invisible as he hurried for the small secondary entrance. As a lone operator, Agent Garner was trained for every scenario, qualified with every weapon that fired a projectile or had a sharpened edge, knew at least seven different languages, and could blend in almost anywhere in the world. However, little of that would matter if there was another droid on the other side of the door. Only reflexes would help him there. However, what greeted him was an empty corridor.

As he moved down the passage, his eyes drifted up as he checked for cameras. Seeing one, he made it go away. Knowing that he was more than likely spotted, Agent Garner started tossing the Republic charges along each side of the passage. If his time in the espionage business had taught him anything, it was the value of confusion, and no matter how disciplined you were, a massive explosion was bound to cause that even if there was no serious damage. At the next intersection, he shot a camera and placed a couple bricks of C-4. Working quickly, he made sure everything was set and kept moving. Every now and then as he proceeded, he would stop just long enough to hide and set some explosives. After what felt like forever, but wasn't really that long, he had used up his whole supply.

As he moved from passage to passage, he found his eyes drifting up. He had been repeatedly warned about ray shields, and it wouldn't do to get captured prematurely due to carelessly walking into one. More than once he was forced duck into a room or deep into the shadows of the dimly lit corridors as droid patrols passed by. About three minutes after leaving the hangar, he noticed a spike in droid patrols. Clearly they had been silently alerted to an intruder. For a while he ignored the revelation as he went further into the ship, until he was at just the right spot.

"Well, it looks like we'll need to up the ante," he mumbled as he produced a detonator.

He made sure he was well away from the area of the blast, out of sight of any cameras or sensors, and pressed the detonator. He heard a click from the trigger, followed by a muffled explosion. Suddenly the corridors came alive with alarms as the shockwave vibrated the massive ship. Knowing he had just woken the entire ship, he doubled back and now went for his true target. The path of explosives and camera images would tell people he was headed for the main reactor. However, his true target was several decks up, and well forward of that location. He quickly ran into a droid patrol. Hearing them approach down the intersecting passage, Agent Garner sent two frag grenades skipping toward them. The cries of alarm were drowned out by the blast. With his rifle shouldered, Agent Garner swung around the corner and finished off the two survivors.

* * *

Count Dooku awoke from his meditation to the sound of shrieking alarms. The force alerted him to no immediate danger. However, there was an unwanted presence on board. A quick probe in the force found it to be one singular, insignificant person. With a grace all unto his own, the Count pulled out his comm link and keyed the bridge.

"Count Dooku to Command. Report," he ordered.

"There was an explosion in three of the corridors leading from the main hangar. Security feeds and the location of the blast suggests one person moving to the main reactor," replied a tactical droid.

The response would've been surprising if the General Grievous was still on the bridge. However, much to Dooku's current annoyance, the volatile commander was planetside proving his worth. The distraction was so obvious that it was almost insulting. While Dooku knew not of the mans exact destination, he had a pretty good guess.

"Belay that order. Redirect all droids forward of the main hangar and lock down the bridge," he ordered.

"Yes my lord," acknowledged the robotic voice of a tactical droid.

* * *

Agent Garner wanted to shout with joy as he reached the relay center. Ducking around the security cameras was hard and dodging patrols was even harder. More than a few droids had been forced to disappear. However, now he was there. Judging by the number of droids moving this way, he knew two things. First, there was definitely droids in there. Second, his original escape plan was out.

The time it took to work his way through the lock was the longest few seconds of his life. Finally, there was a click and hiss as the lock disengaged and the door slid open. As he entered, Agent Garner swept his rifle from left to right across the visible area. Each of the three droids were killed before they could react. The room was dominated by three towering aisles of equipment, and he cleared each one. Then, moving quickly, Agent Garner hid the bodies and moved for a nearby communication terminal. Ignoring the control screen, he went straight for the maintenance panel below. In the dim light, it was slow going as he linked the device to the terminal. This would give the people on the ground the physical connection needed to tap into their comm system. As he shut the maintenance panel, Agent Garner heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He thought about fighting it out. However, the amount of footsteps put a quick end to that idea. Traps would only usher in more security. Fighting the surge of panic, Agent Garner came up with a plan b. Few people, even trained professionals, looked up when they entered or cleared a room. As he climbed up one of the shelves of equipment, Agent Garner hoped this was true with droids to. As he reached the top, he laid flat on the structure while making sure that all of his limbs were totally on the narrow metal structure. The same second that he was hidden, two squads of droids poured into the room. The next few minutes were agonizing as the droids searched for any lifeforms or obvious signs of tamper. The long shadows cast by the open door added to the foreboding atmosphere as the lifeless machines searched. The thump of their footsteps and the whine of their servomotors acted as a constant reminder that he was one mistake away from being another statistic in this war.

Seeing no immediate problems, the battle droids slowly began to exit the room. Wary of a trap, Agent Garner stayed put for another couple minutes. After he was satisfied that no one was waiting to jump him, Agent Garner climbed down and moved for the exit.

"This is Phantom 1 to Command, do you read?" Agent Garner asked into communication device in his ear.

"Affirmative. We hear you," confirmed a tired voice on the other end.

He produced a small flexi cam and sidestepped behind the durasteel wall as the door snapped open. He checked one way, saw that it was clear, and snaked the camera around to check the other side of the blind corner. Seeing nothing, he began the dicey trek to the escape pods. A quick consultation of his map showed that it wasn't far.

"Copy, how's the device working?" he quizzed.

"Loud and clear. Now get out of there," the person quickly replied.

"Good. Phantom 1, out," he concluded.

With a sigh of relief, he quickly but quietly made his way down the corridors. The entry to area housing the escape pods was predictably guarded by a couple battle droids. Two bullets to the head dealt with them. Upon entering, Alex selected the nearest escape pod, got in, and launched it. The thump of it leaving was music to his ears, despite the fact that the logical side of his brain knew he wasn't clear. In this flying ball, he was a sitting duck. Any droid could easily pick him off. It wasn't until he finally entered the atmosphere, that he felt semi-safe.

 **(West-Central Oregon, United States)**

Ahsoka swore to herself that she would never complain about Republic transports ever again. She gripped the handle above her head tighter as the Humvee bounced down the muddy road. More than once she heard the tires spin as the rear end drifted sideways, and after about the second time she hit her head on the ceiling, she decided she couldn't wait to be out of the vehicle. Taking it in stride, Lieutenant Pierce seemed to be the only one who wasn't fazed by the road conditions. Even the clones shifted uncomfortably as the journey progressed.

"We'll leave the truck up here and proceed on foot," he told someone over the radio, as he ignored the discomfort from the rest of the people in the Humvee.

"You sure you know where you're going?" asked Rex from behind him.

"Yes sir. I grew up in the town we're headed for," he replied as he bounced over a broken chunk of pavement.

Being one of the highways to the coast, the droids had blown it to pieces. Add that to the near constant rains over the last twenty-four hours and you had a nearly impossible obstacle course. As they rounded the corner, Lieutenant Pierce took the corner sharper than needed, and Rex was about to protest when he noted the officer was pulling the vehicle onto a barely visible ATV trail. Behind them, there was a secondary crunch of gravel as another Humvee followed them. After he was satisfied that the trucks wouldn't be easily found from the road, he stopped and put his vehicle in park.

Ahsoka shivered as the heated vehicle gave way to the cold night air. Looking over, she watched as a squad of arch troopers and "regulars" climbed out. The differences were striking. While the clones were the same height and build, the Rangers were all different sizes and builds, and contrary to the intimidating white gear of the Republic troops, theirs was a relatively unimposing camouflage pattern of dark greens and browns. She had to admit that seeing their faces was a refreshing change to the anonymity of the clone armor.

Knowing that Commander Tano was technically in charge, Lieutenant Pierce waited for her order to move. Though he didn't think he needed to. Tano had unofficially handed the op to Rex who had unofficially handed it to him do to his knowledge of the terrain.

"Let's go," she stated as she motioned him forward.

"Yes ma'am," he replied as he led the way forward.

Moving at a steady pace, the group went back to the highway, and sticking to the side of the road, continued toward town. As he walked, his thoughts moved to the Commander. He had mixed feelings about her. She was young to be in the military, let alone be an officer. However, not knowing much about her race of people, he decided to give some leeway on his opinion. While she was young, she seemed mature beyond her age. More than once, he had silently watched as she defused low moral induced arguments amongst the men. In combat she had proven herself competent, even if a little on the reckless side. After seeing General Skywalker, he had a feeling she had help in that area.

Behind him, Lieutenant Pierce heard the troops spread out. The road was empty and having everyone in a ditch was just asking for some droid fighter to end all of their lives. After what felt like forever, he lead them off the road and well into the trees and thick undergrowth before motioning everyone closer.

As he took a seat on a tree stump, he produced a map and used his flashlight to illuminate the area in question.

"Alright, this is a small town. If you follow the trail, you can loop around to the other side. There is an old log road that comes in here. Your best vantage point for calling shots will be further up there," -he pointed further up into the mountains- "When the shooting starts, this area in and around the town will become ground zero. Those 16 inch shells aren't precision weapons… They're more of a to whom it may concern," he explained with a thin smile.

The way he explained it elicited a small snicker from Rex.

"Alright, how long to you think it will take?" Ahsoka asked.

Daylight was only a couple hours out, and she hoped to be in position. The dejected sigh that started his reply sunk her hopes.

"This is why I wish that the designer of your men's armor wasn't so… shall I say-"

"Dumb… at least when it came to colors?" Rex finished for him.

"Yes... With all due respect of course," he agreed hesitantly as he remembered that the people he was talking to outranked him by a lot.

"None taken. How long?" Rex pressed.

Though the man was clearly expecting to be reprimanded for his remark, Rex didn't even bat an eye. The Lieutenant had just voiced Rex's own feelings.

"Most of today and a fair chunk of tomorrow," he replied.

No one liked it, but they knew there wasn't a choice. Driving would've been quicker, but it too loud. With that, they began the march for their destination. Much to their surprise, there was next to no droid patrols. However, this far behind the lines, it made sense. They were an easy twenty miles south of the front and insurgency operations had been stopped before they could start.

As Ahsoka walked, she was soon given glimpses of the stormy blue ocean that laid out to her left. Rain soaked evergreens, dark brown mud, and the dismal grey clouds only created a very depressing atmosphere. The scattered bodies -both droid and human- only added to it. At one point, they stopped long enough to check their position. This gave her enough time to see what was left of the town below. Heavy combat had left it in ruins. Many of the structures were either half destroyed or nonexistent anymore. However, in the wake of the destruction, the CIS had turned it into a major staging area for their offensive. Instead of a nice coastal town, it was now an armory for a ruthless invader.

"Let's move out," the Lieutenant ordered

"This was where you grew up," she observed as she fell in step next to him.

"Yep. That burned out building at the south entryway into town made the best clam chowder ever," the Lieutenant replied solemnly as he pointed in the general direction of the main highway.

"Why did you leave?" she asked, more to break the uncomfortable silence than true interest.

"These small towns… They're great to be from, but not to live in," he answered firmly.

The sharpness of his words peaked her interest.

"Why?" she quizzed.

"Many of them were built on logging. When that industry went down, it drug these towns with them," he answered.

The spike in anger told Ahsoka that there was a more personal reason- not that there wasn't truth in his statement- but she figured she had no right to press.

The hours ticked on as they slowly made their way to the lookout point. It was clear when they arrived. Though it was a ways away, they were rewarded with a view of the town and the surrounding area. Hidden in the trees, by a cliff, they would get to direct the fireworks.


	13. Chapter 13

Rex forced himself to stifle a groan as a cold mist rolled in. If he wouldn't take complaining from his men, then he wasn't going to be doing it himself. The rain had stopped over night, but the ground was still cold and wet. The mist only added to the chill that cut through their armor.

"They're late," Rex finally grumbled as he looked over at the Lieutenant.

"To be fair, sir, this is an old piece of equipment they're trying to use," he replied as he shifted positions.

"How old is this thing anyways," Rex asked curiously.

"They're heyday was over sixty years ago," Lieutenant Pierce replied with a thoughtful frown.

Rex grunted, "That's comforting."

Now Pierce grinned.

"I think you'll appreciate her," he replied, "Warfare was a lot less restrained back then."

Rex went to reply, but was stopped short as Lieutenant Pierce's radio came to life.

"This the USS Iowa. We are on station and ready for orders," cracked a disproportionately quiet voice.

"Roger that," he replied before feeding the grid numbers.

"Copy that. Stand by," the Captain replied.

For the next few seconds Rex strained his eyes but saw neither the ship or any explosions in the town. He was about to say something when the first explosion ripped through city center. The large tower of debris hadn't settled when the next one fell, scattering the remains of several droids and armored vehicles. As each shell fell, from five miles away Rex could hear the muted explosions. Soon so many shells were falling at once, that it was impossible to tell where one explosion ended and the other began. The ground shook as a round tore through an ordnance stockpile. Fire spewed out in every direction from the main fireball, as secondary explosions soon followed.

"Adjust five degrees left, and two degrees down," Lieutenant Pierce ordered.

Soon the torrent of shells jumped to the south side of the town with equally devastating results. Unlike man, shells do not discriminate. They destroyed buildings and droids alike. Fire shot up as hundred pound chunks of earth, concrete, and metal came down like rain.

For the Vulture droids, the USS Iowa was not hard to find. With all four 16-inch gun firing, she was lit up on thermal imaging like a Christmas tree. As they approached, internal alarms started going off in the brains of several droids. Even before the SAM missiles had been fired, the droids had scattered into evasive maneuvers. For the majority this worked. However, two were too slow and thus gave the sailors on deck as chance to get a solid lock. The first lost a wing and went tumbling into the stormy waters below. While, the second one was hit head on, leaving nothing but the wings to fall into the water. However, this was not all of the ship's defenses. As the droids got closer, black shell burst dotted the sky in what was soon an impenetrable wall of flak. For all of their artificial intelligence, and maneuverability, many struggled to avoid both the older AA guns and the newly installed, automated 30 millimeter cannons on the deck. Several had wings torn off, were perforated, or were forced to fly so low that a stray wave ended up eating them. Between those and the surface-to-air missiles, the ship proved to be almost untouchable… Keyword: "almost".

Inside the ship it was controlled chaos as the ship struggled to fight off its attackers and continue its attack on the town. Captain Nolan decided that now was a good time to jump off the bandwagon and produced a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. God knew he needed one… two… hell he was probably going to need the entire thing by the time he was done here. Right now there wasn't much he could do besides let the crew do its job and he didn't like it. Suddenly the entire ship quaked as a droid zipped across the forward deck, tracing a line of fire.

"What's the damage?" he demanded as he produced the first cigarette.

"There's a hull breach on deck 5. Automated fire control for the the front two 30 millimeters are down," reported a crewman, "Crews are working to seal the area."

"Good keep me-"

He was interrupted as a second, much larger explosion rocked the ship.

"Battery 3 and four AA turrets are down. We have flooding on deck six," another officer called.

"Ground assets are reporting twenty-plus more enemy craft inbound," added another person.

"Adjust our course fifteen degrees. Take us further into this storm," Captain Nolan ordered as he smashed the cigarette butt into an ashtray and produced another.

"This is USS Iowa to Over watch. We're going to have to break off. These droids pack one hell of a punch," Captain Nolan announced over the comm.

"Understood…" Lieutenant Pierce paused as several more Vulture Droids raced overhead, and out to sea, "You've got a third wave of at least fifteen-"

"Twenty" corrected Ahsoka.

"Twenty enemy craft getting ready to clear the coastline," he informed the Captain.

A muffled "damn" was heard over the radio before the Captain replied, "Understood. Iowa out."

"So, did it work, sir?" asked one of the Arch troopers.

"Have a look," Pierce answered as he offered his set of binoculars.

Looking through the Binoculars didn't work with the helmet, so the clone removed his helmet then held them up. He had seen what the town had looked like before the shelling. As he looked through again, he was rendered speechless. For about three miles in either direction from the center of town, there was absolutely nothing left. Whole chunks of the town no longer existed. Most of it had been reduced to an enormous, charred crater when the ammo dump had been hit. Tanks and droids alike were blown apart and / or crushed and perforated by the shrapnel that had rained down. There were absolutely no structures left. The only thing worth seeing was the large fire that was still burning where they stored the extra fuel for the tanks. After passing the binoculars back, he put back on his helmet, and grabbed his gear in preparation to leave.

"Let's go. This area will be flooded with droids soon enough," Ahsoka ordered as she turned to leave.

Taking the lead again, Lieutenant Pierce lead the group down a different route to the vehicles that avoided the roads even more. It was widely regarded as a good idea leave along a different route than the one used to come in. It tended to reduce the risk of traps. Despite the precaution, everyone was even more alert as they hiked down the mountain.

"This is Recon 1 to Command, over," Lieutenant Pierce stated over the radio.

"This is Command. Recon 1, go," answered Anakin's voice.

"Mission was a success. There's nothing left of the town. All hostiles KIA," Pierce answered with a hint of pride.

"Understood. Get home. Things are starting to move quickly," Anakin ordered.

"Yes sir."

The rest of the trip back to the Humvees was done in relative silence as the group worked their way across the slippery slopes. As they did, Ahsoka couldn't help but look at the Rangers differently. At the time, she had been caught in the moment and didn't truly think about what she was seeing. Yet, now she couldn't avoid it. First it was the planet's impressive militaries. Then it was their unshakeable resolve. Next it was the nuclear warheads that seemed to be materializing out of nowhere. Now it was ocean-going gun platforms that rivaled just about anything the Republic fielded on the ground. She noted that it wasn't just this nation either. Every country she had heard reports on seemed to be pulling rather powerful rabbits out of their hats. Most planets she had seen in her life would've self-destructed if they had these kinds of weapons. Her mind tangled itself into knots trying to figure out this puzzle. She had seen some of the report on the planet's history, yet it had been brief and answered none of her questions.

It wasn't until they were in the Humvees and driving back for friendly lines that she finally asked, "So how did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Well not you per-say… This world. How did you guys keep from wiping out your world. The military capacity on this planet has, honestly, started to scare me," she elaborated.

"It's scared a lot of people," Pierce replied, "To make a long and complicated story short, we got a lot of harsh wakeup calls during the last century. Earth took a really hard look in the mirror and didn't like what it saw. While we still make mistakes, most people on Earth- with a few notable exceptions- have learned to pick their battles carefully."

"So why keep these weapons at all?" she quizzed with a frown.

The humvee fell silent as Lieutenant Pierce rolled the question around in his head.

"We may not like it, but a worldwide history of warfare has taught humanity that it is better to have weapons and not need them, than have need weapons and not have them." the Lieutenant finally answered, "It's the same reason a 'peacekeeper' like yourself carries a lightsaber."

 **(Cheyenne Air Force Station)**

The lone Humvee rumbled down the moonlit road at a steady clip. Inside were three Marines and a man in black body armor. They didn't know who he was, nor did they care. Their orders had been simple. Pick the man known as "Shadow" up and spirit him off to the Air Force Station. Nothing about those directions required a name. As they approached the north entrance, a large, steel door slid open and permitted them to enter the militarized mountain. For what seemed like forever, the truck descended into the heart of the mountain. As the vehicle pulled into the lowest most vehicle bay, everyone noted a couple men in suits waiting for them.

"You the shadow?" demanded one of the men as he stepped toward the man in black body armor.

The man nodded.

"Come with us," the suited man ordered.

The "shadow" nodded and followed them out. As they walked, Agent Garner resisted the urge to limp as he followed the suited men through the halls of the building. The landing had been hard due to his lack of experience in piloting such craft. Coupled with the bruises from his time in Canada, and he decided that it was safe to admit that he hurt all over. His head was killing him. He had bruises poke-a-doting his body, while he was certain that at least one ankle was twisted. As if to top it off, he had been forced to reset his own shoulder after his crash landing in the desert.

As they wove their way through the base, Garner noticed with some apprehension that they seemed to be approaching the operations portion of the base. Taking a glance at his beat-up and worn equipment, he knew that he wasn't ready for an operation with no turnaround time. However, he didn't have a choice in the matter.

Much to his surprise, Agent Garner soon found out that he wasn't due for another mission yet. Instead, he simply met with the National Security Director for a report. Once he was finished, he was sent off to the medical center with orders to get himself patched up and cleaned up.

 **(Jedi Temple: 1 day later)**

Padme's eyes drifted from statue to statue in awe as she was lead through the halls of the massive building. Large tapestries, statues, warm colored walls, and high ceilings gave the entire place a grand, yet peaceful feeling that seemed unshakable despite the fires of war. However, they did little to distract her from the reason that she and Senator Organa had been summoned. Two hours ago, Earth had made contact with the Temple directly. On the grounds of extremely sensitive information, the Jedi had been asked to gain an audience of two officials that they trusted. Then the message had been terminated with a promise to contact again within the next three hours.

After an awe inspiring trip through the temple, they were both lead to a sealed door. Standing on either side were two masked Sentinels with lightsabers unlit but in hand.

"Padawan Nadar reporting with Senators Padme Amidala and Bail Organa as requested," the guide stated crisply.

Both of them nodded once as they stepped to the side. In a nearly unseen gesture, the right hand guard unsealed the door. In response, the Padawan stepped aside and motioned them inside.

As they entered, both people were met with Master Yoda and Master Windu.

"Welcome Senators. Contact with Skywalker and Kenobi, we have made," Yoda stated immediately.

Senator Amidala tried and visibly succeeded at hiding her elation at the statement.

"I am glad to hear that. How are they holding out?" she asked with an even tone, instead.

Master Windu went to answer but was cut off as the deep space comm began to chime. The Jedi pressed a button on the holoboard and gestured to a screen along the back wall as he opened the channel. Both Organa and Amidala looked over in time to see two faces materialize. The first was President Damian's and the second was general Kenobi's.

"Gentlemen, it is good to see you both alive and well," Senator Organa declared as his face drew into a frown.

"Where's General Skywalker?" Senator Amidala asked in a clipped tone.

"Middle of a firefight. Something has happened. We just lost contact with forces all across the Western side of the continent. I am taking his place at the meeting," the President answered.

"What's the situation?" Master Windu quizzed.

"Not good," Master Kenobi replied as a map appeared between the two leaders, "The CIS has secured large portions of the planet,"- large blobs of red suddenly appeared on the map, "Unfortunately, With seven more warships in system, that area of red is expected to increase."

For the next few minutes, the both leaders took turns explaining the situation. In essence it was simple. The planet was falling. Europe and Africa were both taken. All that was left were isolated pockets of insurgency. South America was expected to fall within the next couple days as 750, 000 droids and an equal amount of arm forced their way down the rugged Western coastline. With the impending evacuation of the Willamette Valley and New Orleans, the U.S. had lost control of its entire coastline, while forces out of the East crawled ever closer to the midwest. In Asia, the droids were starting to break stalemates in the Urals and Southeast Asia, while other forces finished securing the most threatening portions of the Pacific Islands. So far, Russia's west coast and the Alaskan coast were the only places left where ships could drop anchor. All in all, it was not a matter of if the planet would fall, but when.

Senator Organa shook his head.

"This isn't good," he needlessly stated.

"No. However, there are other problems as well," Obi Wan declared.

"What kind of problems?" Padme asked, dreading the answer.

"Tell me, do you remember the Blue Shadow Virus?" Kenobi asked.

"Yes, why?" the Senator demanded as she viable bristled.

"It seems that Grievous has gotten a hold of a weaponized version of it," he answered grimly.

"That's impossible. We destroyed the factory. The head scientist is doing a life sentence here at Cor-Max," she blurtted.

She remembered the incident well. That blue mist had etched itself into her memory for eternity. Being electrocuted had been bad enough. However, it wasn't that that readily came to mind. It was the people dying around her. It was the choking and the gasping. It was the acceptance of death mixed with the will to keep fighting that she remembered. Everyone with her had cleared portions of the base, expecting to die. It as an experience that she had no wish to repeat.

"These images beg to differ, Senator," the President snapped.

As if all on cue, several pictures appeared on screen. Senator Amidala suppressed a gasp as she stared at them. In one, over a dozen lifeless bodies were laid out in a line with crossed arms and closed eyes. Behind them a mix of clones and local soldiers were wielding shovels as they dug a large grave in which to lay the bodies. In the next one a steel faced soldier walked forward with a glassy-eyed child in his arms. The face held the tell-tale blue tint of the virus. In the next one, a group of local fighters guided a group of sick adults toward a medical tent. It was clear that all of them were struggling to breath as one was midway through dropping to the ground. In the next one, an expressionless clone struggled to hold a horrified woman back as a soldier in hazmat gear carried the dead body a young adult out from a surprisingly intact building.

The images left the room in horrified silence as they appeared. No one wanted to believe what was being seen but it could not be denied. This was really happening.

"How?" she demanded as the pictures disappeared from the screen.

"That's what we want to know," Damian answered.

"Hmm… A leak there is, if passed along this information was," Yoda reasoned with a thoughtful frown.

"How many people knew about what happened on Naboo?" Senator Organa quizzed.

"Myself, Skywalker, all of Torrent Company, all of Ghost Company, Senator Amidala, Representative Binks, the rogue scientist, and the head of Internal Security on Naboo," Obi Wan answered slowly as he thoughtfully stroked his beard.

"Narrow that down, and by now, all you really have is Domino Squad, a few out of Cody's first platoon, plus the others," Senator Amidala added.

"I'd be surprised if there was a leak in the clones," Obi Wan stated as his voice dropped.

"Yes, but unheard of, treachery is not," Yoda countered.

"Unfortunately, it is not," Obi Wan agreed, "That is something we can start checking down here."

"Yes. We'll keep our ears open around the Senate. If any politicians are helping, I'm sure word will travel through certain circles," Senator Organa added.

"I can start looking into Cor-Max. There is a chance that the Doctor himself is the leak," Master Windu agreed.

Next to him, Yoda remained silent as a vision hit him like a ton of bricks. The world went to black. Suddenly he was on a catwalk in Coruscant's abandoned industrial section. He had been here before… At least he thought he had… The rundown building… The half destroyed catwalk… The dark presence… The sense of danger… Everything felt so familiar yet so foreign. Suddenly a maniacal laugh tore through the air. The insanity was impossible to miss, and Yoda reflexively snatched up his lightsaber. Standing across from him, a figure hidden in black and red robes laughed hysterically. This carried for a few seconds before the figure fell silent.

"You think you can win, Jedi," the man snarled, "I will win. Your plans are dust. Your people are dead. Your republic shall burn."

Yoda did not answer, but instead activated his lightsaber in preparation of an attack.

"Do you think you can stop me? I am everywhere. I see everything. I am the truth in lies. I- I am the monster that you created," the man declared with a voice dripping in pure insanity, "And now, my time has come."

Yoda was surprised when the man did not attack, but instead vaporized into a dense, black mist. Suddenly, the mist shot at him. Unable to block the attack, Yoda was thrown back off his feet and over the railing. Much to Yoda's surprise, his feet failed to hit the cold durasteel of the catwalk, and his mind went into overdrive. However, before he could reach out to slow his fall, the world went black. Then as suddenly as Yoda had left, he was back as his eyes snapped open, revealing the briefing room.

"Master Yoda… Master Yoda," Windu was calling.

"Yes?" Yoda answered quickly as he finished orientating himself.

"Your thoughts on the investigation for this virus?" the Master quizzed.

"Keep it quiet, we need to," Yoda declared before he even knew what he was saying, "Suspect that our traitor is a man of great importance, I do."

"What of supplies?" President Damian pursued.

"I will see what I can do," Senator Amidala stated, "I might have more ability to do so, now that we know the planet's situation."

"Understood. Just please remember that the clock is ticking quite quickly."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone! It's been a while. No, I promise that I haven't forgotten the story. I've just had to split my time between different projects. Anyways, here is the next chapter. As hard as it may be to believe, we are over the halfway mark.**

 **So, without further ado, I give you chapter 14...**

* * *

 **(Cascade Mountains: Oregon)**

Lieutenant Pierce fought to keep his teeth from chattering as he reloaded magazines. While spring was starting to make an appearance everywhere else, it had yet to reach the mountain passes. Snow and ice clung to the ground as midnight winds ate through cloth and plasteel body armor alike.

As he slid a magazine into one of his pockets, he heard two guys start arguing behind him. Their voices were quiet but steadily growing in volume.

"Hey!" he barked, "Shut up, or my foot up your asses will be the only worry you two have."

"Yes sir," grumbled his man.

However, the person- a clone- was slower to respond. Before Pierce could say anything, Rex appeared out from the undergrowth.

"It'll be my foot as well if you don't shape up, Hardcase," he added just as sharply.

"Yes sir," the clone responded.

Satisfied, Pierced turned back and continued working. Rex found a spot next to him in the foxhole as he cleaned out the barrel of his pistol.

"Don't mind Hardcase. He's good, but he can be a bit arrogant sometimes," Rex explained.

"Humph. Weren't we all," Pierce grunted.

Rex started to speak, but quickly cut himself off.

"What-"

"Listen," the Captain ordered.

Pierced fell silent as he strained his ears to listen. Then, like the whisper of a ghost, he heard it float in with the wind. The mechanical wine was barely audible, but unmistakeable. Suddenly, as though to confirm his suspicions, the entire hillside came alive.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Every anti-aircraft battery within ten miles roared to life with echoing reports. Almost without thinking, Lieutenant Pierce and Captain Rex both began barking orders to their respective men. All of it could be summed up with one Sergeant's order.

"Incoming! Hit the dirt!" he shouted.

What had been a whisper was a full blown roar the droids roared overhead. The next several minutes were deafening as explosions tore into the mountainside. Through the chaos and death, one other noise caught Pierce's attention. Both training and numerous engagements with the droids brought one sound to to the forefront of his mind. The sharp hiss came from somewhere off to his right. The blue mist that jetted out from the canister told him what he needed to know.

"Gas! Gas! Gas!" he yelled as he produced his own mask.

In the moonless night, Pierce was forced to rely on muscle memory and training as he fit the gas mask over his face. The bitter taste of filtered oxygen reached his mouth as the mist washed over his foxhole. The officer turned into a statue as part of him waited for the symptoms to begin. Pierce knew he had gotten it on in time. However, there was a part of his mind that had insisted that it was too late. Yet, he was fine.

For the next several hours it rolled on. Squadron after squadron streaked across the mountains. Fires and death marked the trajectory of each droid. Finally, as morning came around the ground fell silent. There was no explosions and no droids streaking overhead. All that was left was a blue haze that sat over the mountain like a blanket. The only mechanical sounds came from a pair of Abrams tanks that picked their way down the torn up, icy highway. The two came to a stop at the first curve in the road. Their position was quite intentional. Here, two mountains dropped into a steep sided ravine with the road snaking down the north side. Anyone trying to climb the road would be caught between a shear rock face and two 120 millimeter guns. That wasn't counting the five mass driver guns on the south slope and self-propelled guns stationed higher up the ridge.

Headcounts were quickly started as the officers attempted to assess the damage. However, they were quickly interrupted as a voice cut in on the radio.

"This is Sentry 1 to Sentry 2. I have multiple hostiles moving up the highway. Can you confirm?" questioned the scout.

"This is Sentry 2, I can confirm. Command, there's at least three plus armor moving up the highway," confirmed the other scout.

"Roger that," acknowledged the General before addressing the Clone and "Regular" tank crews, "Call sign Anvil and callsign Warhawk, you two are on intercept. Weapons free when they're in range."

Clearly other orders were given off frequency, because the ridge suddenly came to life again. However, this time it wasn't AA guns. There was a series of shrill whistles as the artillery shells sailed overhead. The trees shook and geysers of rock and fire marked their landing sites. Looking up and slightly behind him, Pierce watched two machine gun nests quietly come alive.

The next few minutes were tense as artillery shells and hushed reports marked the enemy's position.

One of the clones was in the middle of giving a report when things changed, "...Wait… What the- Command they're splitting up. I repeat they are splitting into two groups. Armor's staying on the road, but most of the infantry units are breaking off into the forest on the south side of the road."

"How far south are they going?" Anakin demanded

"Not far. Their staying parallel in their movements," the clone responded, "Armor should be in sight-"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Every tank in the area came to life at once. Energy and solid projectiles alike smashed into the lead tanks. As they crashed into the hard packed snow, it looked as though the offensive might stall behind a road block of its own tanks. Then came the second phase.

"There's droids moving into the ravine," called one of Pierce's men.

Looking over, Pierce saw them. As the tanks were exchanging rounds, the droids were marching forward unchecked.

"Weapons free. Weapons free," Pierce ordered as he shouldered his own weapon.

Just like that, the real show had begun. Bullets and hand grenades added to the chaos as red and blue lasers marked up the hillside. For every droid that went down, more seemed to take their place. Soon heavy weapons were forced to split their focus as the droids made their suicidal push up the ravine.

"Have they lost their minds?" Pierce shouted over his own gunfire.

"I quit asking myself that a long time ago," Rex answered as he left for a better position.

Pierce barely had to aim in order to hit something. He would kill a droid, shift the sight a couple inches and shoot another. A loud explosion suddenly sent his ears ringing. Pierce reflexively ducked and looked back as metal shrapnel kicked up dust around him. The Lieutenant's eyes turned to saucers as the crippled AT TE gave one last mechanical grone.

"Look out!" someone yelled.

Lacking anything else to do, Pierce threw himself down in his foxhole as the multi-ton walker started tumbling down the hill.

CRASH! BANG! BOOM!

All Pierce saw was dirt and fire as the tank rolled over top of him. After an elongated second, he ventured a look up… or rather down. Sitting at the bottom of the ravine were the twisted remains of a Republic walker and it's crew. As he turned back to continue fighting, Pierce nearly had a heartattack. As it had rolled down, the tank had deposited the crushed remains of the clone gunner inside his hole. He felt guilty for doing it, but Pierce simply pushed the man aside and continued shooting.

Over on the road, the droid tanks were able to find their momentum again as they forced way around the destroyed leaders. As they made their way into the cover of the corner, another tank joined the two on the road. However, they all backed up several yards. This gave the droid tanks time to redirect their fire. As a result, Pierce felt as though the entire world was breaking apart. Explosions sent geysers of fire and debris shooting up around him.

"Anytime those engineers want to start setting off charges, is great with me," Pierce shouted over the radio.

"Standby. They need to get a little further up," crackled a voice on the other end.

"Any further up, and you might as well give them the summit," he snapped back.

"Hardly… You might want to cover your ears," the man warned.

As if on cue, a perfect grid of explosions blasted the rock out from under the road. Pierce had to admit that the end result had a kind of twisted beauty. An entire quarter mile of road ceased to exist as rock and ice were thrown out into the valley. Those that weren't thrown everywhere were jarred loose. As they slid down, so did most of the CIS's tanks. Vehicles and droids alike were crushed and bent beyond recognition as they came crashing down. As if to spite them, the explosion touched off an avalanche that buried the majority of the tanks in a blanket of white.

"Told you," crackled a smug voice.

"Ya. Ya, you did," Pierce admitted as he changed magazines.

 **(Coruscant: Central Division Lockup)**

Mace Windu hated this place. The prison was a massive fortress constructed just south of the Government Sector. The place felt about as tacked on as it looked. The building was hastily added to the previously existing building with the anticipation of war. The hurried construction was obvious through it's poor layout and resulting gaps in security. Nearly constant supply shortages made the place notorious for riots, while more than a legion of clones was required for general security alone. If a riot or other reinforcement requiring issue happened, those forces would have to be flown in from other places across the planet.

Waiting for Windu at the pad was Commander Fox. His red and white armor almost seemed to glow in the light of a setting sun.

"General, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Fox greeted.

"I'm here to see a prisoner," Windu declared as he continued into the building.

"Who exactly?"

"Doctor Nuvo Vindi," Windu answered matter-of-factly.

Fox didn't immediately respond as he attempted to pull the name from his memory.

"Nuvo Vindi," he mumbled before remembering, "Say, he's that nut who tried gassing Naboo."

"Yes. I need to speak to him, and I need his communication records," Windu requested.

"Of course. There's only one problem though…"

"What is that?" the Jedi demanded.

"He shouldn't have any communication records. He was transferred to the containment wing upon arrival," Fox explained.

Windu silently cursed as he stepped into the building.

"Then pull all of the communication records for this entire building. I want every communication transcript from day one of the war to now transferred over to the Jedi Temple by midnight," Windu ordered.

"By midnight, sir?" the Commander stammered.

"By midnight," Windu confirmed before lowering his voice, "Also, this is a very sensitive investigation. I expect the subject of today's visit kept need to know, and so far the only person that needs to know is you."

"Yes sir," the the Clone agreed.

"General, I have to ask that you surrender your weapon and comm link," requested a clone at the security checkpoint.

Master Windu nodded as he turned over his lightsaber and comm link.

"Thank you sir."

Upon passing through the security gate, the two men parted ways. Fox took off in one direction to secure Dr. Vindi and start pulling records, while another guard lead Windu into a solid grey interview room.

"The prisoner will be in shortly," the clone stated as he gestured toward the bolted down table.

Master Windu nodded and took a seat on the far end of the table. After what felt like forever, two more clones (Fox being one of them) lead Vindi through the energy field and cuffed him to the table.

"Ring the buzzer twice when you are finished," Fox instructed.

The Jedi nodded and Fox exited with his partner.

"Master Windu, is it?" asked the pale blue scientist.

"Yes."

"Tell me… What brings you to my humble home?"

The insanity dripped from Nuvo's voice as he spoke. The Alien's black "mask" and elongated features made the words all the more unsettling.

"Your virus is making an appearance again. I want to know how," Master Windu declared.

"It's simple. You take a few ingredients and mix them with some others and- and add electricity," the doctor flippantly explained.

Master Windu clenched his fists under the table as he struggled to retain his patience. Across from him, Nuvo looked as though he was about to burst out laughing.

"I read the after action report. I know how it's made. What I want to know how other people know," Windu corrected.

"Ah! Yes-Yes-Yes! Of course," the doctor began laughing, "You want to know how my work has is continuing on."

Windu nodded in conformation.

Almost instantly, the laughing ceased and Vindi leaned in, "And why should I help you?"

"Because, if you help me, I can get you into Gen. Pop." Windu offered.

Vindi began chuckling again, "You think I want out of here? I wouldn't survive two days in that mess."

"I have the authority to move you as I see fit. I can alter the deal if I have too," Windu warned.

The doctor paused for a minute as he contemplated his options.

"What can I say? Someone seems to appreciate the beauty of my work," Vindi replied with a wild grin.

For the next hour, Master Windu continued prodding. As soon as the doctor had stepped through the door, he had sensed the insanity. However, he had sensed something else underneath- clarity. This caused Windu to take in every tell that he could. Every word that the doctor spoke was examined for double meaning. His tone was constantly evaluated, and the Jedi was almost always searching the force for signs of deception or truth. Finally, at the end of the hour, Windu stood up.

"Leaving so soon?" the doctor asked.

"I think we're finished for now," Windu stated as he pressed the buzzer.

Soon Fox appeared with another trooper. As his partner stood up and re-cuffed the prisoner, Fox was pulled aside by the Jedi.

"Transfer him to isolation. He is not to be transferred unless I give the order," Windu quietly ordered.

"Yes sir."

 **(Jedi Temple: 12 hours later)**

Morning came all too early for Master Windu. The minute he stepped out of his quarters, he was intercepted by an apprentice who informed him that Commander Fox had turned over the communication records as instructed. Upon giving orders to start combing through them, Mace Windu grabbed a small breakfast. After that, he was forced to forgo meditation in favor of a strategy meeting. Finally, upon completion of that depressing conversation, he made his way to the Council Chamber for another meeting. Master Windu was truly impressed. It took half of the meeting for someone to bring up his conversation with Vindi.

"Dr. Vindi is either an exceptional liar or he has isn't our leak," Master Windu declared.

"So where does that leave us?" asked one Council member.

"The potential of a leak from inside, there still is. Tell another prisoner or guard, he could have. Combing through the records, we are," Master Yoda answered.

"I want to know where they are making the gas at, and why they chose this new planet to deploy it on," Master Ki Adi stated, "I could think of any number of planets that would be better."

"Yes, but only that one planet stands between them and Coruscant," reasoned Master Plo Koon.

"What does the Chancellor think of this?" Ki Adi quizzed.

"Hmm… Tell him, we have not. Control of the investigation, we wish to keep," Yoda explained solemnly.

"Do you two really think that he would cut us out of the investigation?" Master Shaak Ti questioned.

"Given his actions of late, I would not put it past him," Master Windu confirmed.

"His sudden mass of power, worry us it does," Yoda added in, "Compromised by the Sith, we fear he may be."

"Could Palpatine himself be playing us?" Plo Koon proposed.

"We do not believe so. He is a politician through and through. We would know if he was. However, previous investigations have proven that he is still a risk to the integrity of this investigation," Windu clarified.

"Until told otherwise, leave this room, this information does not," Yoda instructed.

Silence immediately followed the direction as council members registered the weight of the suggestions made by Yoda and Windu.

"Have they been able to find any leaks in the units that raided the laboratory?" Plo Koon finally asked.

"We don't know. Next contact is due tomorrow evening. We'll find out then," Windu answered.

"I see."

For the next several minutes, ideas and questions were tossed around the council chamber. Some revolved around the virus while others were pointed at other issues. However, the general feeling within that spire was one of trouble and anticipation. The end was coming every Jedi in that room could feel it. It was simply a question of who made the first move.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a while. Like before, I promise I'm not abandoning this story. I just hit a major case of writers block.**

 **With this chapter and going forward, it is important to remember that accusing a high level leader of treason or an equally bad crime, is a delicate matter and often requires tons of unquestionable proof. All the knowledge and reasoning in the galaxy doesn't legally matter without it.**

 **Anyways, I would love to know what you all think. So, stop in and drop a note about what you like, don't like, want or don't want to see, etc. (or just to say hi. :) )**

 **Well, without further ado, I give you Chapter 15...**

 **(Coruscant: Senate Building)**

Padme let out a sigh as she accepted the data pad from her assistant. The day had been a long one. She had started the morning reading through two bills that were absolute shipwrecks from cover to cover. Then, she spent another two hours meeting with various Senators about the war. Despite veiled attempts to dig, she could find no signs of a leak within the political circles. Through the rest of the days activities, she continued to listen and ask. Yet she could find nothing. Now, she got to read up on the war through Senatorial Briefings.

"This is going to be a late night," she muttered as she scanned the table of contents.

By this point, Padme had retreated to her desk. There, she set down the data pad long enough to tap the computer interface on her desk. She pressed two buttons, swiped over a screen, and hit play. The sound of instrumental music from the Theed Palace Orchestra whispered through the room- adding a sense of warmth to her asthetically cold room.

The concept of time seemed to fall away as he scrolled through the ever depressing reports. Planets were being lost at a rapid pace. The CIS was picking up momentum and angling straight for the core. Resources were spread thin. To add insult to injury: political, public, and military moral were at all time lows. Jedi and clones alike were simply vanishing from their units; refugees and protesters were applying pressure to already maxed out public services; and politicians were reduced to spinning their wheels and throwing more money at a problem that money couldn't solve.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the door chime. Padme gasped as she looked at her chrono. The sky outside had gone from pale blue to the black of night as four hours marched on unchecked.

"Come in," she called as she silenced the music.

In response, Bail Organa stepped through the door. Despite his fashionable clothes and dark colored hair, the fellow Senator seemed to be aging by the minute.

"You're still here?" she inquired as she motioned him to a seat.

"I wasn't. C-3PO said you were still here, though. So, I came back," he admitted as he stroked his beard.

The motion and accompanying tone reminded her of Obi Wan, and sent her gut churning. Padme put aside her emotions as she followed up.

"So, what brings you out this late?"

"News on Earth," Organa answered quickly before gesturing to the data pad in her hand, "I see you probably have some of that news already."

"I got the risk assessment. Unfortunately, it's crushed between about thirty-seven equally bad reports," Padme confirmed.

"Yes. Well, I just heard back from Master Yoda. Both Obi Wan and Anakin have cleared their units. Neither man could find a leak," Bail Organa added with a grim sigh.

"So our leak is political," she reasoned.

"More than likely. The Jedi are still combing the prison transcripts. However, nothing has been found so far," Organa agreed before adding, "What about the Naboo security chief?"

Padme's eyes narrowed, "What about him?"

"Are you sure he's not the leak?" he clarified.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," Padme confirmed, "Even if he wanted to, which I highly doubt, he wouldn't have the means or opportunity. Control of the lab went straight from the 501st to the 212th. Naboo security forces were almost never allowed passed the perimeter and certainly were never given a copy of the data and weapons seized in the raid."

"Are you sure," Bail Organa pressed.

Carefully controlled anger clung to every word as Padme explained, "I am. I spent two weeks getting stonewalled by SIS because I wanted to know the end result of the investigation. Once that road proved to be a dead end, I turned to Naboo Security. They told me that they never received any of the reports. An R2 assisted dig proved that they were telling the truth."

Senator Organa backed down in the face of Padme's sharpened tone. Given the logic behind it, he saw no reason to pursue the angle further.

Bail Organa let out a sigh as he leaned back in the chair. Here he had to step carefully. There were two possible options left, and no proof. If be made one misstep from this point on, the destruction of his carefully forged political carrier would be the least of his worries.

"This leaves us with two options… Either someone lied and we didn't catch it or our leak is further up," he dreadfully announced.

"Anakin and Obi Wan wouldn't have the motivation to give away this information. At the same time, they would know if the clones were lying," Padme noted.

"Yes. What about our contacts in the Senate? We both know that things are becoming more and more cutthroat in the Senate chamber," Senator Organa suggested.

"Maybe, but even the CIS systems seemed fearful of this weapon. Many of the system representatives personally contacted the Chancellor's office to wash their hands of the project," she answered with a shrug.

"That means it's higher up," Organa declared, "The question is, 'How far up?'"

Padme considered the question for at least a whole minute. She hastily crossed bureaucratic and elected positions with responsibilities and powers. While the task was hard to complete mentally, it did seem to present two answers… one of which she almost refused to believe.

"Either SIS or the Supreme Chancellor's office," she breathed as the color drained from her face.

Bail Organa's eyes widened at the accusation. However, some reasoning of his own kept him from immediately rejecting the idea. Taking that possibility into consideration, he waved Padme in close.

As she leaned in, he asked softly but firmly, "I am not saying that you are wrong. However, I will say that what you are suggesting is a very serious accusation to be making about the Republic's main intelligence service and a man with a spotless political and personal record."

"SIS I'm not worried about. Palpatine, I am. I know that you two were very close friends. He was a mentor to you, and you two were both critical components in each other's success," -he quickly waved down Padme's protests- "This investigation may produce knowledge that you don't want. Are you able to handle that?"

Padme nodded as she forced down her own line of protests. Clearly it wasn't her honesty in question.

There was a faint quiver in her voice as she answered, "Yes."

Senator Organa nodded with satisfaction as he reclined again and motioned for Padme to do the same. Despite his relaxed body language a new fire was burning in his eyes.

"Then, first thing tomorrow, I believe we need to have a talk with the Jedi," he declared.

 **(Earth: Southwest Russia)**

Obi Wan shivered as a cold draft tore into the room through a shattered window. The burned out building worked well for protecting the sensitive communications equipment housed within, but offered little protection from the icy winds that Volgograd was notorious for.

Obi Wan ignored both that and the creeping sensation down his back as he gave his report.

"...By working with the poor weather, we were able to bog down Grievous's droids. For now their air support is limited as has their ability to gain ground. However…" Obi Wan's report trailed off as he shivered yet again.

The darkside rolled off of the building in waves. In the heat of battle when this location was chosen, he had failed to notice that detail. However, now it was starting to create a problem. He had heard that this city had seen some heavy fighting while under its previous name of Stalingrad. Yet, this was worse than most places in the city.

"Obi Wan," Master Plo Koon cut in, "Are you ok?"

"Huh?" Obi Wan blinked as though he had been slapped, "Oh… yes. I'll be ok. This city has quite the connection with the darkside."

"Unnaturally dark?" Master Windu quizzed.

"No… Not given the city's history," Obi Wan answered with a dismissive wave.

Not one of the eleven other members on the council looked convinced. Yet, with some urging, they let the matter drop. Obi Wan was known to have sound judgement, and there was no reason to question his judgement here.

"So, are we certain that General Grievous is leading this assault?" Kit Fisto finally asked.

"No," Obi Wan answered with a frown as he stared at a map of the city, "But I strongly doubt a tactical droid is calling the shots. They prefer brute force and overwhelming numbers. This battle is different. The droids are employing better strategies- strategies that are distinctly Grievous in nature."

"How close to answering this question, are you?" Yoda pursued.

"Recon teams are going out as we can spare them. Right now, the focus is on using the lull in combat to secure our hold on the city," Obi Wan answered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"If leading this assault, Grievous is. Then the key to victory, he may be," Yoda advised.

 _If only it were so easy,_ Obi Wan thought before answering, "I agree. What is the situation on Coruscant? I have a lot of leaders demanding a lot of answers."

"The investigation is still going. Unfortunately, it sounds like it may be taking a darker turn than we expected. I will be meeting with Senators Amidala and Organa after our discussion has concluded."

"I see," Obi Wan said as he stroked his beard, "Has the doctor been cleared?"

"No, not yet. However, found something in the transcripts, we have not," Yoda answered with drooping ears.

Obi Wan's answer was cut short as a Russian officer raced into the building.

"Gen-" the Colonel stopped short as he saw the holographic figures, "Gentlemen. General Grievous has been spotted. SAS has him on the far west side. Unfortunately, the team was spotted before they could take a shot."

Obi Wan nodded as he processed the information.

"I see," he acknowledged before turning to rest of the council, "Well, it appears as though the war is calling. Was there anything else?"

"Yes, but it can wait. Time does not appear to be on your side," Master Fisto answered as he traded glances with the various council members.

Seeing no objections, Yoda spoke up, "On that we agree. Speak later we can. May the Force be with you."

"And to you as well. Obi Wan out."

With that, the Jedi master disconnected the transmission. This only left the city map to give the room a cold blue glow. By this point Colonel Iosef was standing over the table as well. Obi Wan wrinkled his nose as the man lit a cigarette. The smell was intense, and he had yet to understand the appeal.

On the flip side, the aging officer had long since given up on getting Obi Wan to try them. Though, he was still convinced that it would do the extraterrestrial human good. Lord knows those council meetings were enough to make any man a smoker and an alcoholic. Tack on this war, and they would be enough to make that person a drunken mess.

"So, you're sure that he is here?" Obi Wan quizzed.

"Yes. The Brits have their problems, but I doubt even a toddler could misidentify that robotic freak," Colonel Iosef confirmed with a wave of his cigarette.

Obi Wan ignored the insult as he followed up, "Where?"

"Here, at that apartment complex. I was right, they are using it as a command center," he answered as he stabbed his finger into the display.

"I see."

"What about the weapon?" Obi Wan quizzed.

"The people in research and development think they have a working model. In the prick's quest for nukes, he came up with something just as good without knowing it," Iosef stated.

"Will it work, though?" Obi Wan asked as he continued to stare at the map.

"According to them, it should wipe out any electrical device between these roads" the Colonel answered as he pointed to a road two miles east of the CIS command center and five miles west of it.

"How soon should it be here?" the Jedi quizzed.

"Assuming the convoy isn't delayed, the device should be here tomorrow," he answered with a sly smirk.

"Good. Get the men in place. Tell the SAS team to meet me on tac-2," General Kenobi ordered as he rubbed his forehead.

"What are you doing?" Colonel Iosef asked as he crushed his cigarette under his boot.

"Going to deal with an old problem," he answered as he turned for the door.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello, everyone! It's been quite a while. I'm sorry for the length of time between updates. My laptop took a dump and I had to wait until I had a new one, to update again. Anyways, I'm here and so is the next chapter.**

 **Now, I'm taking a few risks with this chapter and would love to know what you all would think. Well, I'm sure you all didn't click on this to listen to me chatter on and on. So, Without further ado, I give you chapter 16...**

* * *

The skies were angry. Thunder rolled in the distance as a bitter west wind brought in a fresh round of clouds. Obi Wan pulled his robe hood up as drops of rain started dropping from the overhead clouds. As his peripheral vision went away, he filled the gap by reaching out further with the Force.

Moving from shadow to shadow, Obi Wan first slipped through his own line before picking his way across a mile and a half of no man's land. As he picked his way through, over, around, and sometimes under buildings, the Jedi Master had time to think. His mind raced from puzzle piece to puzzle piece.

The General's actions made no sense. Earth wasn't his target. Hell, it wasn't anyone's target. Less than a year ago, hardly anyone knew or cared that this planet existed. Yet, now, they were dumping millions of droids into a costly and strategically pointless campaign. As it stood, the council had considered leaving it to the CIS. Only the risk of a direct assault on Courascant kept that kept that option off the table. Yet why didn't Grievous simply leave when the space was cleared. He was burning his invasion fleet on something that this auxiliary fleet could handle. There was something else going on. No intelligence report, or force vision told him so. Obi Wan could simply feel it in his ever-aging bones.

After two hours of walking, Obi Wan reached the rendezvous site. It was a burned-out apartment complex on the south-central side of town. He examined the place visually and with the force. He felt nothing.

"No matter. They should be here soon," Obi Wan mumbled as he ducked into an open doorway.

The Jedi wrinkled his nose at the smell as he tried to ignore the two uniformed bodies in the front room. He picked his way through the broken remains of the house as he checked the back room for occupants. There were one. Obi Wan stooped down and visually picked apart the man balled up against the door. In his skeletal hand was a picture of what the Jedi assumed was his family. To one side was the shattered remains of a long-necked bottle. Closer by was a pistol missing only one bullet. Despite the decay of the body, Obi Wan didn't find it hard to guess what had happened. Unlike the two in the front room, he wasn't killed by droids. It was another kind of wartime damage.

Obi Wan's comm link chimed. The noise broke him out of his thoughts.

"Obi Wan, go," he answered as he made his way to the remains of the kitchen.

"This is Shadow one. We're coming up on the complex. This is going to have to be quick," announced the SAS Captain with a horse whisper.

Obi wan looked out the window. Hidden in the lengthening shadows of the administration building were seven even darker shadows.

"Roger meet me in the door off your three. It's the only one with an open door," Obi Wan requested.

For good measure, Obi Wan ignited his lightsaber. The blade disappeared with a hiss as the squad approach the door. The first three SAS soldiers didn't do much as slow upon entering the building. With rifles leveled, they began sweeping the area. Obi Wan simply stepped out of their way. Long ago, he had learned that it was nothing personal. A squad like this always cleared a place themselves. However, now the sideways glances were telling the Jedi something else.

"Clear!" Called the men in near unison.

by this point, the leader, Captain Smith, had entered the room.

"So, how bad is it?" Obi Wan asked as he leaned against a perforated wall.

"Not good. He's got that south side locked down tight. Getting in was nearly impossible. They've got overlapping sniper nests on each approach. Heavy armor on the east flank that's guarded by both B-1 and B-2 droids. Drodekas and Commando units have the interior, " the Captain answered while wiping sweat and rain from his black and brown painted face.

"Your best bet for approach is the sewer entrance two kilometers off the North gate. That's how we go to our post across the street," added in another person from the squad.

What about getting into the complex?" Obi Wan quizzed.

"You aren't. That place is tight. There's at least five companies wrapped around that place," Smith declared before dropping his voice, "The package will ground his ship. Given his sudden lack of army, Grievous will more than likely evacuate to a safer position behind the lines. I'd have a team ambush him when he exits town."

Obi Wan hid his frustration behind a poker face. He stroked his beard and considered his options. Waiting wasn't a good option, but Captain Smith has proven himself just as reliable and skilled as any of the 212th's own scouts. There was no reason to doubt the man's judgment.

A few seconds ticked by and Obi Wan felt older than Yoda as the Captain's words began to sink in. "Wait." That one word always seemed so simple and so safe. Yet now it screamed of danger and missed opportunities. How many times had Grievous escaped because Obi Wan waited. How many people had died from these decisions to be patient. Visions of fire danced in Obi Wan's head. Faces of the dead floated to the front of his mind. He was tired. This war... This life... had taken so much and given so little. The seasoned master shivered in silence as the SAS squad took up their posts. Obi Wan leaned against the wall, as his knees threatened to lose their strength. This had to end.

"Return to the line. Inform Colonel Yosef and Commander Cody that they have full control. I never arrived and as far as you know, I was killed," Obi Wan declared as he found his strength again.

The Captain's eyebrows shot up. He trusted the Kenobi, but not that much.

"The counter-attack needs to happen. They will need to go hard and fast. Cody won't do that if I'm engaging Grievous. The risk of friendly fire will silence his heavier weapons," Obi Wan elaborated.

"We shouldn't need those," Captain Smith hissed.

The whisper only added weight to the Captain's words.

"You know what they say about battle plans," Obi Wan shot back.

With that, the Jedi marched for the door.

"And if you live?" Smith demanded.

"That's my problem," he answered over his shoulder.

Obi Wan allowed a thin smile as the Captain swore oaths that he couldn't hope to fulfill. Anger was a powerful tool, and, contrary to the Jedi way, he planned to use it.

 **(Cheyanne Air Force Station: Two hours prior)**

Agent Garner looked at the pictures with cold detachment. He read through the pages upon pages of reports with the same attitude. The Blue Shadow virus was carving a bloody hole through Earth's population. Within a few weeks, it had wiped out more people than both World Wars combined. By all credible estimates, Earth had lost half of its total population to this war.

He forced himself to close the file and move on. He grabbed the next file. On it was typed in black bold lettering:

 **CLASSIFIED: EYES ONLY**

 **Investigation into Duchess Satine of Mandalore**

That file was just as thick. As Garner read, his mood fell to an all-time low. The investigation was nothing but a giant string of screw ups and political maneuvering. After two hours of reading, he finished his notes and slammed the file shut. He was never impressed with the Jedi as an organization, and this solidified that sentiment. Their jacked-up sense of morality clashed with their pseudo-pacifism, and Obi Wan's personal feelings to create quite the messy operation.

"God, that was painful," he muttered as he stood up and went for the line of peg boards along the back wall.

There he pinned another face to ten-foot puzzle of string connected places and names.

Next it was onto "Second Invasion of Geonosis".

He read that one and shook his head.

"How badly do you have to fuck up in order to end up having to re-invade a planet that you have occupied for a year." he muttered as he turned the page.

"Pretty bad," he gasped as he read the invasion force numbers.

He read the file and tossed it to the side. He made a few notes about one "Poggle the Lesser" and added his face to the peg board. Then using a red string and two tacks, he connected Poggle's picture to one of Count Dooku. Agent Garner took a step back and frowned in confusion. Every face and event on the board traced back to Dooku. Not all followed a straight line, but that was the end result. The first and second invasions of Geonosis, the mess with Deathwatch- "Space IRA" as he had mentally labeled them- the clone army, General Grievous, and others.

"No... no. He can't be the last link," Agent Garner declared as he thumbed through the file on Count Dooku.

Dooku wasn't the last link. Agent Garner was looking for a puppet master. Whomever was doing this was playing both sides like a damn fiddle and Dooku didn't fit that bill. He was a highly public figure. He made himself the political face of the CIS. To that extent, he profiled like every other narcissistic leader Agent Garner had dealt with. Yet, he wasn't in charge. An over-inflated sense of self didn't make Dooku the brain of the operation. It just gave him a big head. Agent Garner was looking for someone who avoided the spotlight. He was looking for the man hiding in the shadows, not the one dancing in plain view.

Agent Garner was pulled from his thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Enter," he called as he spun around.

A brunette Secret Service agent stuck her head in.

"You're wanted in the President's office," she announced.

Agent Garner nodded and began gathering the files into their proper boxes. Seeing this, the agent disappeared and pulled the heavy oak door shut behind her. Upon finishing, he walked out to find her waiting outside the door. The agent silently escorted him down through the winding passages. He was eventually deposited at the door to the President's office. There another Secret Service agent verified his identity and ushered him in.

Agent Garner adjusted his crooked tie as he walked through the door. The room was dominated by a large oak desk along the back wall. In front of it were two metal chairs. Off to the right was a white couch similar in style to those inside the, now non-existent, oval office. All of this was tied together with plush, red carpet and empty white walls.

"Agent Garner, welcome," Greeted the President as he stood up at his desk.

"Mr. President. Directors," he acknowledged with a quick salute. The President gave his best attempt at one in return, while Director Baits and the CIA director, Tim Holland, simply nodded.

"I see you guys have been doing some homework of your own," Agent Garner observed as he gestured to the desk.

"Yes, and as of right now, you are back under the CIA's control and possibly on assignment," Holland declared.

"I'm sorry?" Garner answered with surprise.

"He got a bit ahead of us," the President answered with a scowl, "First, what do you think."

"Permission to speak freely."

"I did ask what you thought."

"'Granted,'" Director Holland translated.

"The Jedi are a bunch of incompetent morons, the Galactic Republic is rapidly imploding, and Dooku isn't the brain of this war," Agent Garner answered clinically.

The matter-of-fact tone in his words seemed to add even more cynicism to the statement.

"That seems to be the consensus of my analysts. The real question is who is playing everyone and what is they're end game? Is this someone who's extremely power hungry, someone who's got an ax to grind, or just someone who wants to watch the galaxy burn?" Director Baits agreed.

"I think we can cross out number two and number three. You can do that with a few well-placed assassinations and much less risk," Holland added in.

"No. Whomever is doing this is doing it with the most collateral damage possible. I believe it's someone high up in the Republic, and they are pissed off. They want to be on top, but they want on top of a very specific pile of ashes." Agent Garner argued, "Most of the major events in and leading up to this war involve the Jedi. More specifically, they involve Jedi getting killed or severely injured. I think someone is trying to gain control at the expense of the Jedi."

"You think that was intentional?" President Damian quizzed, "We do know that the Jedi were the main method for resolving conflict pre-war. That could just be a coincidence."

"With all due respect, that could be the case, but I doubt it. We know that there are many former Jedi who have a problem with the order, and at least one of those has come out of the woodwork as a major political leader. It's possible that there's another behind the scenes pulling the strings," Agent Garner countered.

"So, you think this whole thing is an elaborate conspiracy against the Jedi?" Damian pursued.

The man's arched eyebrows conveyed his disbelief.

"I hope you have proof to back up this theory," Director Baits warned.

"Would you bet your life on it?" Director Holland cut in.

Despite a heavy veil, Director Holland's defense of Agent Garner failed to go unnoticed.

"My life, yes," Garner answered crisply.

"The world?"

"The galaxy?"

The questions shot one right after another. Agent Garner mentally reeled as his mind finally wrapped around the scope of what he was investigating. This wasn't some, now petty, international conspiracy. He was talking about an intergalactic conspiracy with moving parts innumerable and in-measurable power at stake.

"My life, yes. Others, no," Agent Garner answered in a near whisper, "However, I have learned to follow the evidence where it takes me. Right now, it's pointing to a rouge Jedi and a government conspiracy. Someone high in the Republic ranks is dirty. As long as the evidence swings that way, I will swing that way."

President Damian rose to his full height as the CIA agent finished.

"Director Holland is due for a meeting with Courascant in twenty minutes. I expect you and that evidence for this accusation ready to present when he's done," the President ordered.

"Yes sir." Agent Garner answered crisply.

"Good. Gentlemen, unless there is something else, all three of you are dismissed," Damian concluded.

"Yes sir."

 **(Jedi Temple war room: 20 minutes later)**

Padme, Yoda, and Mace Windu watched as the large holotable hummed to life. She was quickly greeted with the usual assortment of people. Anakin, Director Holland, and... wait. There was one that didn't belong. It was a tall, big-boned officer with dark hair, a four-day stubble, and a dirt-painted face.

"You, on the right. Who are you," Padme demanded as she pointed to the officer in black and white camouflage fatigues.

"Colonel Iosef, Russian Federation Army," he answered in heavily accented basic.

It was immediately clear that basic wasn't his first language.

"Where's General Kenobi?" she quizzed.

"Where's Cody?" Master Windu followed up.

Yosef's head dropped. One could hear a pin drop in the war room gravel crunched under his shuffling feet.

After a couple seconds, the Colonel looked up and declared, "General Kenobi is dead."

Those four words cut through the meeting like a hot knife through butter. Padme opened her mouth to speak. Yet, no sound came out. Yoda's ears dropped as he leaned heavily on his short, wooden cane. Next to him, Mace Windu simply shook his head with a look of thinly veiled sadness. Padme cast a hopeful look to her husband. He had always been able to sense his former master, even when no one else could. The only response was a look of ice.

"When, where, and how?" Anakin quizzed as he turned to the Colonel.

"Two hours ago, on the south side of Volgograd. According to Captain Smith who was there at the time, he got caught in the blast of to thermal detonators. They're only alive 'cause he tried to quote-unquote 'contain the blast' with his Force powers," Yosef explained, "There wasn't enough to recover, and the team was forced to retreat back behind our lines."

Anakin appeared as though he taken a punch to the solar plexus. His breath grew quick as shallow as reality set in. His hands began to shake as he tried to contain the torrent of emotion within him.

"Where's Cody?" Director Holland cut in after a couple seconds.

"He's preparing the men to move out tonight. This day has not been good. Kenobi is dead, and our package never arrived. We have to move without it," Yosef answered.

"That's suicide," Holland gasped.

"It is, but it's our chance to strike a decisive blow. Grievous was confirmed to be in the city. His death would greatly ease the pressure on our forces," the Colonel justified.

"I see."

"Understandable, your decision is," Yoda agreed.

"What about you fine gentlemen. How is the 'great' and 'mighty' American army doing," Yosef asked in a voice dripping with contempt.

Director Holland ignored his tone and moved on to his part of the updates before letting Anakin finish up. In short, things had bogged down into a war of attrition. The tactical droids in charge had failed to successfully punch through the Cascades with any meaningful numbers. Defensive lines running from British Columbia to Arizona were holding on, even if barely. In Seattle, they had punched through the cascades and across the flatter lands of eastern Washington, only to be stopped along at the base of various Rocky Mountain ranges. In the east, Lines along the Mississippi River and Missouri River were holding firm. Liberal doses of heavy ordnance had ensured that there were no bridges for the droids to cross on, while long-range, mobile artillery continued to hammer any place where the droids tried building their own crossing. On the Northern edge of the droid lines, weather had stunted attempts to punch through the northern half of Canada. In the higher elevations of the Canadian Rockies, winter was still in full swing and dishing out it's punishment equally between the two sides.

"Alright, let's discuss why we're all really here," Director Holland spoke up as Anakin finished, "Where are we with reinforcements."

"Nowhere. The Senate won't sign off," Padme answered.

"Even if they did, we don't have anyone to spare. Both Yoda's men and mine are currently rearming and refitting. They won't be ready for quite a while," Mace Windu added.

"So, plan B," Holland declared.

Padme nodded in confirmation.

"The Republic military has a stealth craft in orbital dock. We should be able to extract a small diplomatic group and bring them here to speak to the Senate directly. Hearing from you guys would be more beneficial than me talking for you. I haven't exactly won any favors lately," she confirmed.

"Speaking of favors, what do your analysts think of the data we sent over?" Mace Windu asked.

"They agree that your problem are coming from within the Republic government. Someone is playing both sides like a fiddle. You don't want to know what they think of your investigative abilities," Holland answered crisply.

Windu ignored the side comment and cast a look down at Yoda.

"Hmm... prepare your diplomats, you should. Bring security of your own, I recommend. Safe, this planet is not, I fear," Yoda announced solemnly.

"They'll be waiting."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, everyone! Well, this was quick. We are officially nearing the end of the story. With this, I have a few notes. I started this with the intent of keeping it to one story. However, that simply won't work. I am coming up on the death of one (if not 2) of the main villians. However, I have a lot more content to go through before I can kill the last guy. As such, this will be divided up into two stories. This first one is about three chapters (give or take) from conclusion. That said, I would still love to know what ya'll think. Is this a good idea, bad idea, what?**

 **So, with that in mind, I give you chapter 17...**

* * *

Colonel Yosef stared at a holomap of the city as the sound of cannon fire guided his thoughts. Blasts like drum beats echoed through the city streets. A quarter mile behind him, what was left of their Earth and Republic artillery was launching artillery shells high into the sky. As Yosef examined the city map, he heard the faint rumble and whine of tanks further out to the left. The tactic in use was old but effective. Not long after Captain Smith had returned, the clouds burst open. Sheets of wind-driven rain pounded the city and grounded aircraft of all kinds. If they were going to use artillery, now was time.

Yosef whipped around as the door to the room creaked open. He relaxed as he saw the yellow and white armored commander hammer the worst of the mud off his boots.

"So, Cody... How are the men?" he asked as he turned back to the map.

Cody shrugged.

"They'll be fine. Morale took a hit, but we're use to loss," Cody answered.

The lie was written all over the Commander's face. His men were used to loss but not like this. Yosef had learned quickly the Obi Wan was a well loved and respected General. More than a few of the clones owed him their lives. Yet, here he was, taken by forces outside their control. Nothing was ok, and no one was doing alright.

"That's good. The weather should keep the skies clear for now," he declared, deftly changing topics.

"It, will. Now, let's hope it holds. How long do you think this should go for?" Cody asked as he scratched at the dirt caked on his arms.

"An hour on its own. I want to shut up the worst of their armor. Then we'll go to phase two," the Colonel answered as he lit a cigarette.

Cody let out a dejected sigh, "Understood. I'll see what I can do in the mean time."

With that he made his way to the door.

"Hey, Commander!"

Cody spun around to face the aging Colonel.

"He's never coming back. The sooner we can accept that, the better," he advised.

Commander Cody gave a weak nod and disappeared out into the night.

 **(Cheyenne Air Force Station)**

Director Holland wasn't much older than his NSA counterpart. However, thirty years in the navy had done quite the number on him. While he wasn't quite as bald, he did look every bit as old as he was, with almost white hair, a mouth that could make a hardened prisoner blush, and scars and muscles that told of a hard life. Of course, the sailor in him was carefully tucked away behind the administrator and professional spook personas.

Across from him, Agent Garner watched him fight each side as he delivered the briefing.

"They'll be flying in on a Navy chopper from the Iowa-" his eyes briefly sparkled with pride "-From there they'll make a stop by Cheyenne and refuel-" the spy in him cringed at having foreign leaders and operatives spending time at an operational military base "-before flying on to Gowen Field. It's a small National Guard base in the middle of nowhere," finally the administrator balked at the awkward time-consuming flight path.

"With all due respect sir, Boise is hardly the middle of nowhere," Agent Garner warned.

Inwardly he was cringing at all of this as well. On top of the three other foreign agents going with them, there was a considerable risk that came with flying seven members of the UN Security Council through contested airspace.

"No, but it is relatively untouched and there's a big ass desert right next door that they can land their ship in," he justified.

Agent Garner shrugged, it was as good as anywhere else.

"Alright, so what's my cover?" he asked as he read the files of the other three agents.

One was an MI6 Agent, the second was a GRU agent out of Russia, and the third was a MSS agent out of China. Between them was about sixty years of intelligence work with about half of it being in black ops or their non-American equivalent.

"Same as the rest- diplomatic security," Director Holland explained, "It'll give you a reason to snoop around and access to any weapons that you might need. It should also help in sniffing out leaks in Republic security."

Agent Garner shook his head. He and Holland both knew it wouldn't be that simple. Actually vetting the people in charge was going to involve some serious stretching of their official duties.

"I know it's not that simple. This what you get payed for. Regularly report to the council members. If something major cracks open, make contact with the Jedi. How and when is at your discretion. However, the less people that know, the better your cover will hold," Holland needlessly advised.

"Understood. How long until the flight leaves?" he asked.

"Hour and a half. You can sleep on the flight," Holland answered quickly.

 **(Volgograd Russia, One hour and a half later)**

Obi Wan took every step with exaggerated caution. He sidestepped the antennas of two mine droids and slid into the shadows of a half-destroyed building. He slipped into the doorway and crouched below a window. Using the force, he reached out. He first felt the mine droids then nothing. He frowned and reached out further. That's when he felt them; two droids across the street and three stories up. They were on the opposite wall, facing east. That explained how he had not been shot at yet. Obi Wan stood up to move and froze. Using the force to propel his body, the Jedi dove across the room, across a waist-high counter and into the even darker shadows of the back wall. Obi Wan's breath caught in his throat as the squad of B1s marched by outside. He finally exhaled as the squad turned down the road and disappeared into a set of buildings further down the road.

Moving with the same caution, Obi Wan made his way out of the building and up the road. As he dove from shadow to shadow, he listened to the distant boom of cannon fire. This told him all he needed to know. The Russian EMP had never arrived. The counteroffensive was going to happen. That would keep the droids busy. Now all he had to do was kill Grievous.

"Ya, that's all," he muttered to himself as the ice-cold rain cut through his cloak.

* * *

Commander Cody watched from the back of the AT-TE as shell after shell punched into the ground two miles ahead. He was just as anxious as every other person here. Earth had some serious fighters, he would admit that. However, Cody had yet to see someone outside of his home fleet break Grevious's main army, let alone some plucky native force. The best thing they had going for them now was shear grit. This was no green force raised in a matter of days. This was a battle-hardened force of warriors. Sure, their homes were different, but they were skilled in their trade of war. The force knows that Cody had learned more than a little from them.

"The night's not getting any younger," Cody called into the radio.

"No, it's not. We are ready in the north," crackled Yosef's voice in response.

"Alright let's move out," Cody called as butterflies formed in his throat.

Cody grabbed hold of the gunner's seat as the AT-TE lurched forward. in front of him, a pair of British Challenger tanks raced forward with British and French infantry in tow. This was it and there was no going back. They were pushing forward, low morale and all.

 **(Earth: Low orbit)**

Padme let out a gasp as she gazed out at the warships arrayed outside the view port. In front of her, the two clone pilots showed no emotion as silently navigated the cloaked ship through the CIS fleet. At over twenty ships strong, this was the biggest Separatist fleet that she had ever personally seen. As one of the key Senators in this operation, she had volunteered to go with. Well, "volunteer" was a stretch. She had basically pushed herself onto the gunship carrying Master Windu to the awaiting ship. For his part, he had let her on.

"This is insane," she muttered to herself, "What is so important that he would stall right here?"

"Debris at point five one," called the Navigator.

"See it," acknowledged the pilot.

Following the pilot's gaze, she spotted the ghostly remains of a Republic cruiser. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Windu lower his head in remorse.

"How many people lived here pre-war?" she asked Master Windu.

"Roughly 7.3 billion people lived here," he answered quietly before adding to himself, "And yet I was ready to let them die."

Not quite sure how to answer the admission, Padme didn't answer as she watched the various frigates pass by.

Slowly the black of space gave way to the brown hues of desert skies choked with smoke. Rolling hills and flat-topped peaks streaked past as the ship leveled off a few hundred feet off the ground.

"Standby to disengage cloak," called the Captain.

"Roger, standing by," called a voice in the back.

"Disengage in 3... 2... 1... now," The clone ordered.

"Disengaging now."

"Begin landing sequence," the Captain called next.

All at once the ship came to life as various crewmen worked to prepare the ship for landing.

"Gravity is .999 percent Coruscant standard... Atmosphere is human-safe. Temperature is sixty degrees standard, humidity five percent."

"Cloak is disengaged."

"Dialing back thrusters 20 percent."

"Roger, landing in five," called the pilot as he began flipping various switches.

Under them, the empty sand gave way to a single narrow road. It was this road that they followed for another several miles. As the ended, Padme was nearly thrown sideways as the ship spun around to meet the direction of a elongated landing pad.

* * *

Agent Garner stood in a sea of black and blue uniformed black and blue personnel. In his hand, he clutched a modified Saber-4, like the ones being held by the rest of the security team. His breath caught as the space craft came roaring up over the horizon. The flying cylinder easily dwarfed the C-130 idling on the tarmac.

"Матерь Божья" Gasped the GRU agent next to him.

Agent Garner simply nodded. Sergei had said it just about as well as he ever could.

The ship touched down on the runway with a smoothness all to its own. The same second, the ramp dropped to reveal a soldier in grey and white armor similar to that of the Republic infantry. However, his had two hoses connecting his helmet to a backpack.

"Let's go. Times ticking," the clone barked.

Everyone hesitated as nervous glances were passed back and forth. Snapping out of his shock first, Agent Garner and Li Suo took the lead and marched up the ramp. Taking the hint, the rest of the security team guided the ambassadors on board. As he crossed into the ship, it took Garner's eyes a minute to adjust to the dark interior. He paused as his eyes scanned the narrow interior.

"Back here," called a distinctly feminine voice. Garner spun around to see a woman bathed in the glow of a red work light.

The Agent shrugged his shoulders and marched down the line of seats.

He unslung his rifle and tucked it between his left leg and the bulkhead. While it made the rifle harder to get to, his sidearm would be his weapon of choice anyways, if things got dicey in here.

Across from him, the woman nodded at each person in turn as they took a seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen," began the woman as the last guard found his seat, "My name is Senator Armidala of the Republic Senate. This is Mace Windu of the Jedi order. I wish we could be meeting under better circumstances, but sadly that is not the case."

As if to highlight her point, the side hatch slammed shut to the dull roar of engines powering up.

 **(Volgograd, Russia)**

Colonel Yosef was not an infantry man. He had not been one for years. The last time he had run into battle was Afghanistan more than thirty years ago as a private in the Soviet Army. However, in the midnight hell of Volgograd, it all came back at once. The allied line smashed into the droids with a fiery all unto its own. Driven by revenge and desperation, clones and regulars alike tore into the CIS lines. Tanks traded shots mere yards from each other while soldiers clashed in intense firefights measured in tens of feet. In the middle of this was Colonel Yosef. While he did trail behind by a half block, he did still see his share of combat.

"Sickle 1, get fire on that tower," he yelled as he threw himself against a concrete retaining wall.

Outside, a T-90 tank roared down the street. The tank came to a stop on top of a car as its main came around. The 125mm cannon fired off with a earsplitting boom. As an HE-Frag round obliterated one heavy repeating blaster, the Commander opened up on the second one across the street with his .50 caliber machine gun. With a AT-TE now bringing up the rear, the T-90 continued to push forward.

The colonel gave a forward motion with his arm before racing out the door. The company he was with raced out into the park across the street. Using concrete planters and shell craters for cover, the men traded fire with droids dug in inside the store fronts ahead.

 _BOOM!_

The AT-TE behind them exploded in ball of fire and shrapnel. From there it was a quick-draw match between the T-90 and the CIS tank racing to flank the armored column. However, neither one made the shot. The T-90's shot went wide into the hotel lobby. The CIS tank took a shot before a British soldier with a Javelin missile sent the thing exploding into a several different, fiery pieces. Yosef ducked as one of the tanks anti-personnel cannon went skipping overhead.

Seeing the danger, Colonel Yosef quickly keyed up the command frequency on his radio.

"Commander, this Northern banner, we've got droid flanking us from the southeast," he warned.

"Where... Ghost Company, move it up!... Where are you?" Cody asked between barking orders to his own men.

The Colonel hesitated as he scanned the area for a sign of some kind. He may have been Russian, but he almost never ended up down in Volgograd pre-war. Frustrated, he shot down an overly ambitious B1 and yanked a map out of his pocket. In the shaky glow of his work light, Yosef was able to find his position.

"Two clicks north of the highway, pushing east," he answered quickly.

"Damn," he heard Cody mutter before commanding, "Bring your men south of the highway. We're going to have to meet early. Say..."

Cody proceeded to lay out a completely new plan of attack. He justified it by explaining that the central Droid line had held, and that they were at risk of being permanently separated. Yosef swore as he gave orders to his own men off frequency.

"Alright. We're moving out. See you on the other side," he agreed before switching channels, "All units take the left on Sentry. There's been a change of plans."

* * *

No matter how well planned out the mission was or how disciplined ones men were, armies did not turn on a dime. This was evident as a Ukrainian Captain fought to untangle the mess he was currently in.

"No... No. No. No. I said, 'point five one'," he yelled into his radio, "Orders have changed. Go down and make a left. We're cutting through the factory, not around it."

Up in front of him, a T-72 and a AT-TE were trying to keep from running into each other. A misunderstanding between the Captain's men and those of a German unit had nearly sent the walker crashing into its smaller counterpart. Next to him, a clone Sergeant traded shots with a couple droids across the street.

"All units push up. We're cutting through the factory," he ordered through the radio.

In response, both clones and regulars rushed forward out of the safety of their cover. Next to him, the clone rushed through the door, only to get blasted away by a B2 droid. The offending droid plus two others disappeared in a cloud of shrapnel as a frag grenade exploded at its feet. Seizing the opportunity, the Captain rushed forward into the the next building. he did a quick sweep with three other infantrymen before pushing forward. In his headset, there was still chaos on the frequency. Colonel Yosef's sudden change of orders found units running into each other as some made the turn faster than others.

The captain never slowed as he fired three rounds into each of the droids between him and the building. This one was the guard station for factory in question. It was a massive four story structure with seven or eight outbuildings for equipment storage, Four different loading docks with twelve doors each, two separate groups of silos, and two different places to load railroad cars. All in all, this was going to be one hell of a place to secure.

"Hammer 1 and Hammer 2 take second platoon and secure the south side. 3 and 4 take the north with third platoon. First platoon on me. We're going in," he ordered.

In response, 2 Leopard tanks smashed through the front gate. Trailing close behind were a pair of older T-72s. Each one broke away with an accompanying Leopard tank and began circling the perimeter of the building.

As he watched the factory come alive, the Captain allowed himself a tired sigh. This was going to be a long night.

 _BOOM! BA-BOOM!_

The front of the factory suddenly exploded in a ball of fire as a pack of Russian T-90s suddenly appeared out of dense smoke on a side street. The captain recoiled in pain as both ears rang in protest. Next to him, another soldier let out his own string of curses a mixed company of Russian and Republic troops rushed forward. In the mix, he spotted Colonel Yosef. With a surge of adrenaline, the Captain vaulted out of the guard shack. With red sight, he grabbed the Colonel's jacket collar in a death grip and slammed him into back of a stationary tank.

"What the fuck was that?" he practically screamed.

With both ears ringing and his men half-buried in rubble, the Captain cared little for their difference in command.

"'What the fuck was that?'... What the fuck are you doing here?" the Colonel demanded in response, "You're suppose to be three miles down road."

"That's not what I was told!" he yelled back as he pulled out a map of the city, "I was ordered to push through here."

As he spoke he jabbed his finger into the spot where the factory was at.

"No. I was suppose to go through here. You were suppose to leapfrog and push south through here," the Colonel shot back as he angrily pointed to a spot further west, "Where the hell did you learn to read a map."

"Same place you learned to communicate," the Captain retorted.

The Colonel didn't immediately respond as he glared at the Captain. Had they been in the same army, he would've demoted clear down to enlisted right on the spot. However, they weren't in the same army and as such, Yosef lacked the authority.

"Alright, have your men fall in. I guess we're rendezvousing here instead of further down," the Colonel conceded.

The Captain gave an enraged growl as he practically tossed the Colonel to the side.

"The droids don't need to fight us, we'll kill ourselves at this rate," Yosef muttered bitterly as he found his footing on the muddy ground.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello everyone! Well this is it and I am both super nervous and super excited. I've been building this fight up for three chapters (at least) and it's finally happening. I am super nervous as this is both a super important chapter and a chapter where I had to seriously push myself as a writer. For those of you who want to know why Grievous doesn't appear more in this story, it is because he is a certifiable pain in the ass to write outside of combat. Anyways, I would love to know what you all think. Did I do good? Did I do bad? Is there things I can improve on? What would you like to see in the coming chapters? Please drop a note and let me know.**

 **Anyways, you didn't come to listen to (or rather, read) me ramble on. So, without further ado, I give you chapter 18...**

* * *

 **(Coruscant: High Orbit)**

Agent Garner was exhausted. About two hours ago, the awe factor of riding in a spacecraft had given way to mind-numbing exhaustion. He did his best to stay awake as Padme walked everyone through the nuances of maneuvering the Republic political landscape. Most of it was basic things like what person filled what role and who could answer what questions. The resulting conversation was a lively one, and one that he often found himself taking part in as official "head of security". However, it didn't change the boring nature of the discussion.

"Landing in ten," called back one of the crewmen.

"Any questions?" Padme asked in conclusion.

The various politicians and guards looked at each other. Shrugs and looks of uncertainty were passed back and forth before one of them finally answered.

"No, I do not believe so," answered the Chinese ambassador in heavily accented English.

Padme nodded. The look on her face made it clear that she wasn't convinced.

"Well then, welcome to Coruscant," she announced as she gestured to the front view port.

Everyone turned their heads and gasped. Out of some innate fear of the unknown, no one dared move from his or her spot. However, they didn't have to. Even through the narrow view port, the view of Coruscant was awe inspiring. As the ship glided into the atmosphere, skyscrapers of all different shapes and sizes rose to meet them. From his seat in the back, Agent Garner watched with a slack jaw. All around them, ships and speeder craft of all kind whipped by. It wasn't until the crew chief gave the thirty second call that Agent Garner fell back into his role as security guard.

* * *

Chancellor Palpatine watched with silent expectation as the Republic transport touched down on the landing pad. Locked deep within, the monster raged. The last thing he needed was these people speaking to the Senate directly. He knew plenty of the horror taking place on the surface. They would bring much more credibility to the conversation than Padme did. In turn they could threaten his entire plan. Someone on that planet was a major threat to him. However, the force was not revealing any clues as to who it was. Without that information, his only recourse was to wipe out the entire planet.

If he had known soon enough, he would have had the ship blown out of the sky the minute it entered the system. However, Padme's move had been swift and impulsive. He had not personally learned of her mission until three hours ago, soon after she would have been safely out of system with the delegation.

However, that side of him was tucked away deep within his mind. The side closer to the surface was simply curious. He wanted to know what these people were made of. What kinds of traditions did they hold? What was their sense of honor? Were they naturally warlike or peaceful? All of these questions and more ran through his head as he and a half dozen other officials and guards watched the delegation exit the ship. Naturally, the first to exit was Senator Amidala.

"Ah, welcome home. It is good to see you back safely," he announced warmly.

"It is good to see you as well," she answered with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

 _Something's not right,_ whispered a voice in the back of his head.

He made a mental note and shoved the voice back deeper in his head as he visually picked apart the people coming down the ramp behind her. The first to catch his attention were several men in black body armor and blue helmets. The letters "UN" were stenciled in white on the front of each one. Each man and woman gripped a large slug thrower in their hand. At easily twice the size of a DC-17, the rifle was easily the most dominant feature of each stern-faced person. With a professionalism that was not lost on him, the lead guards sidestepped, while those behind moved forward. The result created an easy to close "door" in the case that things went sideways. However, it also gave both parties an unobstructed view of each other.

 _Warlike... not in the traditional sense,_ he mentally noted, _Tactically smart... definitely. Getting rid of this group is going to take finesse._

Like with the other thoughts, he put it in the back of his mind as the Senator introduced various members of the delegation. Palpatine quickly noticed that the name of a different nation was being put in front of each representative, something that was quite unusual in a society of wholly united planets.

"This is Ambassador Coleman, of the US," Padme introduced quickly before moving on, "This is Ambassador Lang Zhou of China..."

"Welcome," Palpatine answered gracefully as each person was introduced.

Despite their obvious attempts to treat this like any other diplomatic mission, the Supreme Chancellor could tell that the planet had them awe struck. Not only did their wonder radiate out in the Force, but unless they were being directly spoken to, each person- soldier and diplomat- let their eyes wonder out across the mountain-like buildings.

Once initial introductions were finished, Palpatine watched with a thin smile as they loaded into the speeder waiting on the opposite platform. Yes, the decision had been knee-jerk, but it was a good one none-the-less. Having successfully pushed the Senate hearing out two extra days, he would have plenty of time to deal with this thorn in his side. Luckily, he had an asset in the city already.

* * *

Further down the artificial canyon, a lone figure in blue and black Mandalorian armor peered out from the shadows. With binoculars pressed against his helmet, he watched the Republic transport touch down on the pad. In most cases, he would have simply carried out the contract right here. A pressure sensor hooked to a few charges would do the trick. However, the job was only a few hours old, and the equipment was not in place. No. This would be nothing more than a recon mission.

"Quite the interesting security team," noted a voice over his helmet comm.

"They know what they're doing. I'm not sure about their weapons, though," he agreed.

"They're slug throwers. I'm sure we can handle them," the other person scoffed.

"Just don't do anything stupid," the leader warned before moving on, "I've got seven targets and eight security personnel. Targets don't look armed. I'm seeing possible grenades and sidearms on the guards... Body armor on the chest and head. Sides look exposed."

"There's supposed to be sixteen guards. Where are the other eight?" the other one asked.

With a frown he switched his view to thermal. The entire platform glowed various shades of yellow from the heat washing off the recently powered down ship. However, though it, he made out several orange blobs. There was the crew plus eight.

"Found them, waiting inside. Chances are that platform was a little small for everyone," he answered, "Could be extra detail for whatever they're using as an improvised embassy."

"That's what I'm thinking. So, what do you think?" the second one asked.

The leader didn't immediately answer as a Republic gunship roared overhead.

"Another day, another paycheck. They're leaving. I think it's time we did the same," he finally answered.

"Understood. Same meeting spot?"

"Unless you know something I don't." the leader agreed as he disappeared further back into the shadows.

 **(Volgograd, Russia)**

Obi Wan staggered as an artillery shell slammed into a building behind him. He spun around in time to watch the building recoil from the blast. It leaned one way, then the other, before finally collapsing in cloud of dirt and twisted metal. The Jedi fought the urge to plug his ears as the sound of crumbling concrete and twisting metal pierced his ears. Another blast on the other side of him told him what he needed to know. This wasn't a good place to stop. He turned again and continued down his path. It had taken roughly three hours, but he was within a quarter mile of Grevious's compound. Here he had to go cautiously. Moving from building to building, he was careful to stick to shadows and trenches as he could. Of course, none of that would matter if one of the droids was using thermal imaging. His skin crawled at the thought. However, he pushed the fear back as he cautiously made his way down into an exposed sewer tunnel.

What little light that existed in the stormy night was quickly snuffed out as he picked his way through mud and waste of the concrete tunnel. As he ducked down to meet the height of the tunnel, he let out a disgusted moan at the smell. Working by Force alone, he spent the next several minutes making his way under the city streets. Through the ground, he could hear the occasional whine of repulsor-lifts overhead. Even more often, the tunnel shook in time with the rhythmic artillery fire crashing down overhead.

As he continued in closer, Obi Wan found himself second-guessing his decision. Yes, his death had given them sufficient motivation to carry out this attack. However, did he really expect to die? Was it really his call? The Jedi knew what he expected to happen. The question was if it would happen. He fully expected Grievous to want to wage this fight one on one, but that would only last as long as he was winning. The minute the tide changed, that entire apartment building would come down on him metaphorically, or literally. There was no surviving this encounter. The only question was if he could take the General with him.

 _Or was there a way?_ whispered a small voice.

Obi Wan frowned in thought. If the artillery fire and lack of droids were anything to go off of, the offensive was still intact. Though, to what extent, he could not say. No, this was right. Even if the offensive was successful, there was no possible way they could cross the city that quickly. The difference in numbers simply wouldn't let it happen. Besides, even if it did, after all these months and all of these missed opportunities, Grievous would be his. Dead or not, Obi Wan had the responsibility... No... right to bring down the "good" General. This was his mess, and he was going to fix it, even if it cost him his life.

With his mind fixed, the Jedi continued on. Through the dark grime, he made his way towards destiny.

 **(CIS Forward Command Post: 0.25 miles north)**

Once, there was a man. He was now dead. There was once compassion and discipline, respect and loyalty. These things were no more. Once the core of the man, they had long since been burned away in the fires of war and betrayal. There was once love and devotion. Like the others they too had been burned away, this time by the even hotter fire of loss and abandonment. What was left in its place was a hollow metal shell of rage and hate. This man was little more than metal frame and exposed servos. More machine than man now, he had little to live for. He had no one to care for and no home to return to. He was a warrior without a country, and monster without direction. The only thing that sustained him was pure revenge and a twisted mind. He would see the Republic destroyed. He would hunt down those responsible for his misery and stand on the ashes of those who had betrayed him. The monster, Grievous as he was known, held only one goal. He would crush the Jedi and sweep aside all who stood between him and that goal.

As he stared at the holomap and tactical displays of the battle raging outside, General Grievous clenched his fists tighter and tighter. His days were numbered. Grievous had accepted this long ago. Yet here he was. His goal, the only quest that was truly his, was delayed yet again. Instead of burning the Jedi temple, he was playing homicidal errand boy for shadowy overlords with agendas he couldn't even begin to understand.

With a growl he spun around to face his tactical droid.

"Where are the Vulture droids? This battle should be over by now!" he demanded in a deep raspy voice.

The droid did little more than tilt its head in a common expression that was starting to appear more and more full of contempt by day.

Grievous resisted the urge to rip the droid apart as it explained, "They are grounded with the rest of the flying craft. The risk of losing them to the storm compounded with fire from the ground puts the possibility of successful attack at a mere ten percent, hardly satisfactory in any case. The risk of successful attack from orbit has an even lower probability."

"Fine. Bring up the reserve units and reinforce our center," he ordered as he stared at the battle map.

"Hardly necessary, they are attempting to flank-"

"Do as I say, droid!" Grievous snarled.

With a simple nod of its head, the droid turned to carry out his order. Satisfied that the droid would follow his order, General Grievous went about other tasks. For all of their intelligence, Grievous did not like tactical droids. The represented the two things he hated most. They were too reliant on data prediction with no instinct to go with it, and they reminded him of his greatest fear; the fear of losing what sentience he had left. Grievous knew full well what Dooku had done to him under the knife. It was a decision that he swore he would pay the man back for one of day. Perhaps he would do it after burning the temple. Maybe it would be before. He did not know or care at the moment.

 **(Republic/CIS Frontline)**

Commander Cody fought to catch his breath as he ducked behind a cash register. All around him, a sea of red lasers tore into the store. wood splintered and burned as fire suppression sprinklers flooded the room with water. Behind him, what little was left on the shelves wen skipping across the room.

"Sir, we have a problem," Waxer declared as he slid in next to his commander.

"What's that?" Cody quizzed as he traded shots with a commando droid across the street.

Behind him, a third clone lobbed a thermal detonator through the door way.

"Captain Smith just reported in. They've got sight on a line of droids five clicks northeast. It's mostly B1s and B2s but they're packing some serious armor," he explained as he shielded his eyes from the flash of the explosion.

As dust cleared, the laser fire dwindled to a manageable amount.

"How serious," Cody ordered as he keyed up one of the Command frequencies, "Ghost Company, push up."

"At least a whole other division," Waxer replied as they sprinted from cover.

The conversation paused as the ground shook from another, bigger explosion ahead. On the other side of the building a Frag shell from an Earth tank blew open the building. Without skipping a beat, Cody burst in. The first droid lost its head while its partner took three shots to the side from another trooper.

Upon finding suitable cover, the Commander pressed Waxer for the details. What he found out wasn't quite the worst new possible but it was close. The unit was steering right for the center of the city. This would cause them to overshoot Cody's force and drive straight into Yosef's men. This wasn't good. Not only was plan A blown to hell. Now, plan B was in the exact same spot as plan A. There would be no rendezvous at Grevious's compound. There would be no rendezvous at the secondary spot, either. At this rate, there would be no rendezvous period.

He quickly keyed up the main command frequency.

"The is Southern banner, how copy?" he shouted over the noise.

"Southern banner, I hear you loud and clear," Yosef crackled over his helmet comm.

"I just heard, you've got an armored division-"

"I know. We're already preparing," the Colonel cut in, "Push for the building. We'll link up."

"Negative, we've got a decent flanking position. We'll engage from the side, then push on," he countered.

"That's going to take time," Yosef protested, "By bringing that division up, he has opened up a seam in his line. Use it. Get to that compound. We need to take out Grievous before he loses his nerve and retreats."

 _If he hasn't already,_ Cody thought bitterly.

Unlike Yosef, he was well aware of how the General operated. Unless a Jedi was involved, he rarely stuck his own neck out in combat. Despite, his own personal feelings, Cody took a half-second to consider the option and give orders to his own men.

As much as he didn't like it, this whole operation was about killing General Grievous. That was the goal with which Cody had rallied the men, and it was a promise he intended to keep.

"Understood. We're pushing on. I'll see you on the other side," Cody reluctantly agreed.

 **(CIS Forward Command Post, 10 minutes later)**

General Grievous scowled at the map projected at waist height. Something had gone seriously wrong. The Division had plugged the hole, right where Grievous had ordered it to. Every projection, observation, and piece of data they had pointed to it being the location where both arms of the attack would connect. However, that was not what was playing out in reality. In reality, the north arm had run into a metaphorical and literal durasteel wall. However, the Southern arm had found a seem and was exploiting it for all it was worth.

Seeing one last chance to salvage the battle, Grievous began issuing orders. He had just finished when a ventilation grate crashed to the ground. Without looking, Grievous knew exactly who it was. How he got in, General Grievous would never know. Of course, this was Kenobi. Nothing shocked him anymore.

"It's a shame that you won't get to see those orders through," Obi Wan declared in a voice dripping with bravado.

At the same time, Grievous heard the distinctive _snap-hiss_ of a lightsaber coming to life.

"Impressive," Grievous admitted as he turned to face his opponent, "Tell me, is this another attempt to bring me to justice?"

"You know me too well."

As he spoke, the General began sidestepping away from the command droids working behind him. He really did intend for his orders to be followed through. Behind him was a door leading out of what was once a large honeymoon suit. He kicked the door open as he brought two of his own lightsabers to life. The door ripped out of the wall and smashed against the opposite wall. Grievous never slowed as he visually picked Obi Wan apart. He had fought the man more than enough times to know that blindly rushing him was equivalent to suicide. No, the best option was to draw him in. Create false openings and force him to be the aggressive one.

He lunged forward. Blades clashed in a furious light show. However, each move was part of a carefully controlled dance. Obi Wan easily batted away the first swing and went for his exposed center. Grievous twisted around the stab, buried one leg in the wall, and propelled himself over the Jedi. At the same time, he brought his other blade back in a move that would have decapitated any lesser opponent.

* * *

Obi Wan swept away Grevious's first strike with ease. In the same motion, he stepped in and stabbed at Grevious's exposed center. That was the last easy move of the battle. For his blade met nothing but air. In the same instant Obi Wan lashed out, Grievous sidestepped and used his clawed feet to propel himself off the wall. The force screamed and Obi Wan dropped and spun around in an awkward maneuver that neatly tangled up his legs and drove his blade into the wall. He instantly the flashes of light in both his right and left peripheral vision spoke of the danger at the same time as the force. Desperate to get room to recover, Obi Wan pushed out hard with the force.

Then, as though a Rancor had just struck him in the gut, Grievous went flying down the hall. The blast hadn't been as hard as Obi Wan would have liked, and Grievous came crashing down just outside of lightsaber reach. However, it gave the Jedi Master the extra three seconds that he needed to recover. The floor shook as Grievous went crashing to the ground. The metal monstrosity buried his claws into the sub floor as he fought to control his tumble. Obi Wan untangled himself and was on Grievous instantly. His blade came down hard on Grevious's own hastily raised lightsabers. Blades locked and screamed. For just a second, Obi Wan actually believed he might end this fight quickly. His hopes escaped with the air in his lungs as Grievous drove his foot into the Jedi's solar plexus. Despite using the force to dampen the blow, Obi Wan was still sent reeling from the force of the hit.

"You really thought this was going to be that easy," Grievous taunted as he launched into his own vicious attack.

His two blades were little more than blurs as Obi Wan struggled to keep up with the General's assault. He batted away one blade as he twisted around the other. By the time, he had his footing again, the next blade was mere inches away. He backpedaled two steps and used the force to redirect that arm while he caught the next blade at neck height.

"I see your skills have improved," Obi Wan observed as he attempted to find an opening in the General's defenses.

"Much more than yours, I'm afraid," the Grievous replied as he continued to push Obi Wan down the Hall.

"We'll see about that."

The dance continued in Grevious's favor for the next minute as Obi Wan fought to catch arm after arm. It soon became clear that Obi Wan wasn't going to win a fight in this narrow hall. As he fought, Kenobi tried to call up the mental map he had of the area. Every floor except the bottom was laid out exactly like this. If he could reach the bottom alive, he might be able to turn things around, but how? That's when the idea hit him.

"I think you have more than enough lightsabers," Obi Wan declared between lightsaber parries.

"Never!" Grievous roared.

"How many will it take?" he followed up, "How many people will have to die until this vendetta of yours is satisfied?"

"As many as it takes to see your order destroyed," General Grievous snapped as he pressed his attack, "I will not rest until the Republic is destroyed and your order is nothing more than ash and shallow graves."

"For what purpose? In what world is this right? In the last year and a half, you have killed more people than the Kaleesh sanctions ever did." Obi Wan protested.

"Those were my people! You Jedi and your precious Republic starved MY people. It was MY people who died at your hand," he bellowed out as he lashed out even harder against the Jedi's defenses.

Careful, not to reveal his new-found sense of purpose, Obi Wan let the General push him back toward the main stairwell. As he did this, the Jedi continued antagonizing the General. If he could get him angry enough, he could plausibly cause Grievous to mess up.

"Well, if you hadn't gone on a war path across multiple systems-"

Obi Wan's retort was silenced as Grievous, again, slammed his leg into Obi Wan's chest. This time, it went high of the solar plexus and the Jedi was able to simply roll back with the blow.

"They murdered my wife!" Grievous shouted as he chased Obi Wan back, "What would you have me do?"

"Certainly not go on a genocidal rampage," Kenobi shot back as he ignored the pain in his chest.

Obi Wan's blood ran cold as he felt his back-foot press against the aging, steel door. Using the force, he threw it open just in time to back away from a potentially lethal vertical strike.

Even though the stairwell was wide enough to accompany several people at a time, it was still only built for emergency use and it showed. The stair well was essentially a rectangular concrete tube that extended down for hundreds of feet. Bolted into the walls was a metal staircase that circled down to the bottom floor. Obi Wan didn't allow himself to think as he ducked under Grevious's blade. In one fluid motion, he came up, launched himself over the railing, and deflected a strike at his back as he dropped into oblivion.

His stomach dropped as gravity took over. Unable to see in the darkness, Obi Wan relied on the force to guide him. After what felt like an eternity, he felt his fingertips touch metal. He snapped his hands shut around the metal bar and only allowed himself a second to stop swinging before he dropped again. This time he launched himself the opposite way. Behind him. there was a shower of sparks as Grevious's blade cut through the same railing that he had just launched off of. Two short seconds later, he caught the next process and repeated what he did above.

This continued the whole way down as Grievous clamored down after him. About half way down, the process was complicated as muffled explosions echoed through the cavernous space. One particularly violent one, nearly shook Obi Wan free of the railing that he had just caught. Cody was moving faster than he had anticipated.

"It appears you're running out of time," Obi Wan called up as he launched down to the next stage.

The only response was an angry snarl from somewhere up above. Obi Wan noticed with worry that the General was considerably closer than he thought. He was snapped from his thoughts as a dozen red lasers streaked up through his peripheral vision.

"So, this is where he plays dirty," Obi Wan muttered as he leaped across the empty space. However, he didn't dare go down. Unlike him, those droids were outfitted with the best in night vision and thermal imaging. The three squads down below would have little trouble tracking his downward decent, and with Grievous at his back, he couldn't afford to take them on, regardless of type.

No. He would fight this where he had the advantage of agility. Obi Wan paused to catch his breath as he considered his next move. The fact that the droids weren't shooting told him that Grievous and him were on the same side of the stairwell, while the force told him that the General was about two stories up. For Grievous, in the light, that was an easy jump from the opposite side. In the dark, Obi Wan doubted he could successfully make the landing well enough to fight. Obi Wan kept his blade off as he force jumped up a level. Red lasers traced his trajectory up. However, they went harmlessly to one side or the other. The lack of other droids told Obi Wan what he needed to know. The General wasn't worried yet. He had a moment of panic as he realized that he couldn't see Grievous. The blue and green blades should have stuck out like glow rods in the darkness.

Suddenly, both of those "glow rods" appeared halfway to Obi Wan. His eyes turned to saucers has he ducked down out of the way. Sparks flew as Grievous slammed into the concrete wall. The stairs shrieked with protest as bolts began to pull from the wall. Pressing his height advantage, Grievous pressed a line of attacks. Obi Wan batted away both blades and used the force to propel himself over the General and onto the landing above. Grievous followed his move and leaped over the destroyed steps to meet him on the landing.

So, the dance continued. However, it was with new dimensions. The two Generals leaped from landing to landing and flight of stairs to flight of stairs as they tried to get a suitable advantage over the other. Despite the massive taxation on his energy and body, Obi Wan preferred this- droids and all- to the narrow hallway of before. It gave him all three dimensions to work with.

However, things became more complicated as the stairs began to give way.

Obi Wan dropped down behind Grievous as the General unhooked his second pair of mechanical arms. Obi Wan landed, only to feel the twisted metal buckle under him. Ignoring the danger, he swung his blade down at an angle. At the same time, the bolts ripped out of the wall, and he and his blade fell harmlessly to the side. Acting off instinct alone, Obi Wan propelled himself off the edge of the step he was once occupying and went flying across the void. The force screamed out in alarm just in time for Obi Wan to slam into the concrete wall. He yelled out in pain as he crashed to the steps. He had no time to recover as the General came down on him. Obi Wan went prone as a blade came across like an ax blade. Obi Wan managed to worm his way passed the General's swinging blades as he added his own lightsaber into the mix. It was an awkward set of moves, but after a few agonizing seconds, he managed to untangle himself from Grievous and retreat down the steps to the next landing.

Suddenly, there was another explosion followed by the sound of small arms fire down below. Obi Wan allowed himself a thin smile as he stepped into one of Grevious's attacks. One way or another, the General was pinned in.

"It appears you have lost the battle," Obi Wan taunted as he sliced off Grevious's lower right hand.

"Hardly," General Grievous roared as he fought to close the opening in his defenses.

Suddenly a streak of yellow light illuminated the entire stairwell. Obi Wan knew the danger and immediately pushed up with the force to dampen the blast.

 _BOOM!_

The rocket slammed into the stairs above. Obi Wan instantly lost almost all of his hearing as metal rained down around him. If Obi Wan doubted the clone's collective mood before, he didn't now. That was a Republic rocket and it had only missed his level by a couple inches. There was a spit second of confusion as he tried to figure out why the clones would fire off rockets with him up here. The question was answered as he realized how far up he was. At that vertical distance, his blade would be indistinguishable from those of Grievous.

Grievous shouted something as he found his footing. However, Obi Wan couldn't tell what and didn't care at the moment. He was trying to factor his own men into his next set of moves. In one swift move, they had become just as deadly as the monster he was fighting. Obi Wan deflected one blade and jumped back away from the next two blades before stepping in to take a swing at Grevious's exposed neck.

To say the rocket had startled Grievous was an understatement. He knew the spear tip of the clone army was closing in fast. However, he had not accounted for two things. He did not account for the fact that he had pulled away much of his reserves and that they did not have a Jedi to keep them on a leash. Now, he was stuck hundreds of feet in the air with a skilled duelist and rockets being fired at him.

As Grievous raced down after Obi Wan, he didn't fail to notice the confusion written on his opponent's face. That's when it dawned on him.

"They don't know you're, here do they?" he yelled as he caught the Jedi's blade with his three.

"You're a slow learner," Obi Wan shot back as he pulled free.

"And you're a foolish-"

His next words went unsaid as the dim black and grey of the space was replaced by a blinding white light. Grievous had watched Obi Wan throw himself back. However, by that point, it was too late. Deafening didn't even begin to describe the earsplitting nature of the sound, as the shockwave threw both him and Obi Wan into the same wall. He slammed into the concrete wall with twisted metal not far behind. Not unlike many times before, Grievous was grateful for his metal frame and lack of feeling as debris pelted him.

However, as his vision cleared, he realized that wouldn't save him. Grievous fought to pull himself free of his concrete restraints. He was quick, pulling out large chunks of the wall as he got free of his imprint. However, Obi Wan had the force. That coupled with pure adrenaline to give him an edge in recovery. Grievous snapped a blade to life as he attempted to block the oncoming attack. However, it went too far left and for the first time in a long time, Grievous felt pain... true unquestionable pain. Grievous looked down at his bloody opponent as the blade cut into his chest.

"It seems, neither of us will win this round," Grievous coughed.

As his vision narrowed, he saw it. A piece of metal, the width of two of his fingers sticking out from Obi Wan's upper right side. The last thing Grievous heard was the sound of Obi Wan's blade snapping off as he dropped to the ground. The last thing he saw was the body of his longtime nemesis hitting the ground next to him. It was with that image that his world went black.

* * *

Three hundred feet below, the clone quickly shoved another rocket down the tube and raised it up.

"You just won't die," he muttered as he looked down the sight.

"Hold it," barked Cody.

He froze. It was at this moment, the clone realized both blades he had seen a second ago were extinguished. Behind him, Cody felt his hopes raise.

"Push up," he barked before finishing in his head, _We got the bastard._

As they marched up the steps, Cody's work lights cut through the darkness. In these twin lights Cody noticed evidence of a fight that confused him. The walls were marked with the blacken scars distinctive to a lightsaber. As he continued up, he found missing chunks of stairway requiring a grapple hook to get over.

"What the hell happened here?" one clone asked.

Behind him, a Russian soldier muttered an agreement in his native language. Cody ignored them, and the radio chatter as he cautiously continued up the stairs. Behind him, other units broke off to sweep the floors.

"Where are the droids?" demanded another person in rough basic.

"Yes," agreed his clone counterpart, "Something isn't right."

Cody didn't answer, and he picked up pace. He thought he had an idea, but it didn't make sense. After an eternity of climbing, Cody saw an image that was forever burned in his head.

Laying on the floor was General Grievous. The scorching hole in his back at chest height bared witness to his death. The Commander ignored him in favor of the man sprawled out next to him.

"General!" he shouted.

Cody took the remaining steps two at a time as he raced over to his former CO and personal friend. Every question in his head vanished into mist as he saw the man's bloody form. The man was dead. Cody was sure. The massive lacerations and shrapnel buried in him practically guarantied the fact. However, in a move born out of desperation more than logic, Cody scooped Obi Wan up and jammed two fingers into his neck.

"Come on... come on..." he muttered quickly as he desperately felt for a pulse.

Much to his surprise, Cody found it. The pulse was weak but unmistakable.

"He's alive!" Cody shouted, "Medic!"

As the clone pushed himself to the front of the group, Cody felt the pulse disappear, then appear again. However, this time it was considerably weaker.

"You've already died once. Don't you dare do it again!" he ordered frantically as the medic shoved him to the side.

Working quickly, the clone pulled out his gear and began working to contain the bleeding. Cody barked at the rest of his unit to keep moving as he stayed behind with the clone medic.

"What can I do?" Cody quizzed as he knelt down next to the other clone.

"See that bandage on his side," the Medic quizzed as he gestured to his blood-soaked right hand.

"Yes."

"Good. Grab a fresh bandage and press it there. We have to stop the bleeding if he is going to survive," the clone answered.

Cody nodded, grabbed a fresh bandage, and pressed down where the medic's hand had been a half-second earlier. So, they worked, each man unsure of whether or not Obi Wan would live through the next five seconds, let alone, actually survive his injuries. As time marched on, the fog cleared, and unanswerable questions formed in Cody's head. By the time, a gunship arrived outside to airlift them to safety, Cody was spinning with ideas, questions, and newfound suspicions.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello everyone! This is it. We have made our first major detour away from the major canon. This is where things get considerably more interesting. As always, I love to hear what you guys think.**

 **So, without much else to say, I give you chapter 19...**

* * *

 **(Coruscant: 4 hours later)**

"Four hours ago, General Grievous was killed in his command and control center," Cody reported clinically.

The Commander was forced to pause his report as hushed whispers circulated the crowd. At the back of the Chancellor's office, Agent Garner observed behind a stone face. Seated in a circle on red, plush couches and similar chairs, the various delegation members and Jedi traded notes and hushed exclamations of surprise.

For the first time since seeing the diminutive Grand Master, Garner watched Yoda visibly relax. His ears drooped slightly as he leaned on his walking stick. Next to him, Senator Amidala seemed to breath a similar look of relief as she whispered something to him. Across from him, various ambassadors from Earth gleefully shook hands and patted each other on the back in conservative expressions of excitement. However, what caught his eye was the Supreme Chancellor. The relieved smile he wore failed to reach his eyes.

"Excellent… It appears that things are starting to look up," Palpatine declared.

Agent Garner narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong with the man's answer. However, he couldn't tell what. His smile was genuine, and enough uncertainty was laced into his words to keep it from being too enthusiastic. His body visibly relaxed upon hearing the news… but those eyes. Those damn eyes. For a split second, those eyes went from warm and kind to some of the iciest Garner had ever had the displeasure of seeing. Then, as though as switch had been thrown, his eyes returned to their default state of warm and inviting. With nothing solid to go off of, Agent Garner mentally logged his suspicions and continued to listen.

"Grievous is dead. I verified it personally. However, there were complications," Cody picked back up hesitantly.

"What kind of complications?" Ambassador Coleman demanded.

"At the site of Grevious's death, we also recovered General Kenobi," the atmosphere in the room suddenly chilled, "He is alive… but barely. I believe he is the one that killed General Grievous."

"How? We were informed that he died in an explosion," Chancellor Palpatine asked.

"Yes sir. I received that information as well. I am currently trying to figure out what happened," Cody answered crisply.

"I suggest you do so quickly, Commander," Palpatine acknowledged firmly.

There were various nods as the rest of the audience agreed.

"Yes sir."

"What's his condition?" Senator Amidala followed up.

"Critical, ma'am. It does appear that he sustained extensive injuries in an explosion shortly before we reached him. There's some burns but the worst of it was from shrapnel. Even with that, it's not good. On Coruscant, he would be fine. However, out here…" he paused as an explosion rocked the floor under him, "… Out here in this mess… The odds are slim."

Padme nodded as she processed the information. The worry on her face was plain to see.

"Alright where are you with taking the city?" she followed up a couple seconds later.

"The city sits at roughly seventy percent taken. Much less of that is actually secured. The droids are slowly withdrawing. However, moves late in the battle by the, now dead, General Grievous seriously depleted us of manpower and equipment. As a result, the battle is drawing out longer than anticipated. To actually secure the city could take a week or more," Cody explained.

 _Things are slowly changing,_ Agent Garner mentally observed.

Like the rest in the room, he hoped Grevious's death would convince the Senate that they were competent, and that their men would not be wasted on his planet.

"That is the best news that we have heard in a while. Will you be able to pursue operations beyond the city?" quizzed the Russian ambassador.

"No sir. To do so would be to sign our death warrant. Any meaningful advance past the city would hyperextend our lines. When the counterattack came, and it would, we would be wiped out at the expense of Volgograd and any gains made after," Cody answered in the same matter-of-fact tone he had started the report with.

He continued to watch and listen as various questions and answers crisscrossed the room. Senator Amidala seemed to trade off leadership roles with Master Windu. Agent Garner noticed with curiosity that Master Yoda rarely chimed into the conversation. Despite, in many ways, being in charge of the war effort, he seemed content to only add in a sentence or two here and there. Much to the agent's annoyance, it was also always in that backwards speech that messed with his head. Every time he heard it, he imagined his first-grade teacher trying to correct each sentence.

By the time the meeting finally ended an hour and a half later, Agent Garner had enough observations to start rather extensive files on each person in the room. Senator Amidala was something of a rising star of in the Senate. While the Republic war hawks hated her with a passion, she seemed to be the unofficial figurehead of neutral systems movement. Between that and her position as go between for the Jedi and Senate, all those Senators could do is watch and bitch as she took a heavy role in setting policy. Agent Garner allowed a thin smile at the thought. He had never cared for Senators. In his career, he had watched too many Agents die because some bigwig had to prove how important he was at a cocktail party.

Of course, her position lead to different questions. Agent Garner's smirk faded away as he held the door open for her. Certain things weren't adding up and he was starting to question just how honest, the young brunette was.

 _How did you go from pacifist to trying to lead an army?_ the Agent thought.

The second one to catch his attention was the Supreme Chancellor. Something was very wrong about the man. He knew what to say and how to say it. The man's facial expressions and movements were perfectly timed and perfectly predictable. It was as if he knew exactly what was going to be said before it was said. The feeling was hard to describe but quite unnerving. As the meeting came to a close, Agent Garner made a mental note to dig deeper into the man's past.

* * *

The tremor in the Force was impossible to miss. About halfway through the meeting, Captain Harris- the UN guard in the back of the room- had suddenly become quite suspicious. While, there was a level of distrust that Master Windu expected to feel, he did not expect to suddenly get overwhelmed by the amount. While the amount of suspicion came and went over time, there was something obviously wrong. The urge to stare at the Captain was almost impossible to stifle as the meeting came to an end.

Next to him, it was clear that Yoda had felt the same thing in the force. The ride back to the Jedi Temple was done in eerie silence. Neither person could seem to find words to describe the meeting. The fact that Obi Wan was alive had shocked of them. Though, Yoda seemed the lesser affected of the two. On top of this, the death of Grievous completely altered the trajectory of the war.

The first sign of Yoda's reaction came when they landed.

"Gather the council, you should. Report immediately we must. Much there is to discuss," Yoda instructed as he stepped off the Republic gunship.

"Yes of course, but what of the-"

Windu was cut off by the sting of Yoda's walking stick against his leg.

 _Not here,_ read the look on Yoda's face.

Master Windu only needed to look out at the mechanics and various droids running around the hanger to understand. This was a conversation to for council ears only. He nodded in agreement as he spit off to summon the other nine members. Thirty minutes later, every member except Obi Wan was in the locked and sealed council chamber. Those that were not able to be present in person- roughly half- were present in their seats through the power of holograms.

"Seen much change, the last twenty-four hours have," Yoda began, "Arrived the delegation has, and a potential spy they have brought with them. Dead General Grievous is. Alive, Master Kenobi is. Seriously injured he was."

The report was quick, sharp, and to the point. Gasps and wide-eyed looks circulated the room. Yet, in the end it was silence that dominated the circular room. No one spoke as each person considered the implications of what they had just been told. A full minute later, Master Plo Koon spoke broke the silence.

"I will would gladly attest to both Obi Wan's judgement and his honesty. What happened?" he questioned, "Even by the standards of his former Padawan. Master Kenobi's actions were reckless."

"He and Grievous have a history. It is possible that he let the mission on Earth become too personal," suggested Master Mundi.

"Hmm... Wait until he can speak for himself, we should. In the meantime, more pressing matters we have," Yoda cut in.

"I agree. Where does the death of General Grievous leave us?" asked Master Luminara.

Mace Windu answered by recapping the conversation they had in the Chancellor's office. In short, it left Dooku in command of both the campaign for Earth and the entire CIS military. With Grievous dead, the threat to Coruscant was greatly reduced, which was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, no one liked the prospect of open combat in Coruscant's civilian choked airspace. On the flip side, it would make convincing the Senate of the need for more troops on Earth hard. Around the room, there were solemn nods. Everyone in the room was quite aware of the situation on Earth. They still had one fighting Jedi on the ground plus the tattered remains of the Republic's two best legions. This and a severely fragmented local defense force were all that stood between the planet and complete annihilation. All-in-all, Grievous seemed to be little more than a consolation prize. Anakin was good. Cody was good, and Rex was good. However, none of them were that good.

"What of the spy?" Master Fisto finally asked.

"He's posing as a security guard. His 'name' as we know it is 'Captain Harris'. However, I felt a tremor in the Force during the meeting. He was observing, and various things said or done made him extremely suspicious. It radiated out clearly in the Force," Master Windu explained.

"So, what do we propose to do about it?" asked another member.

"More importantly, why is he here?" added master Plo Koon.

"Know, why I think I do. A leak high within the Republic, Earth suspects. Responsible for the invasion of their planet, they believe this person is. Looking signs of this leak, he could be," Yoda answered.

"Did he seem dangerous?" asked Mundi.

"Not to us, no. However, I fear for whatever person he decides is the leak," Master Windu answered quickly.

"So, that brings us back to the first question. What do we do about it?" quizzed Master Koth.

"I believe, I might have an idea," Master Plo Koon announced.

 **(Two hours later: Cordecena Hotel, Government Sector)**

The man who sat in the lobby of the hotel was far different from the man who had observed the landing pad yesterday evening. Yet, the two were one and the same. However, he lacked basically everything. Where there had once been body armor, there was now conservative business attire. His jacket was a nice brown coat of Nexu fir. While his shoes were some of the best dress pairs he could buy. He was clean shaven, and his hair was slicked down in place, with not a hair out of place.

For around three hours, he had sat against the side wall. He read various news pads scattered across the end table. When he got restless, he stood up and made his way to the refreshment bar. There he poured himself a cup of caf and retreated back into his plush seat. As he did all of this, he let his eyes wander around and take in every detail. He studied the routines of the clone guards. He observed the habits of the people running the desk and made notes of the various Senators, their staff members, and others that came and went. He even made note of the bored business man playing a game on the holonet. Finally, satisfied that he had the information he needed, the Mandalorian stood up to leave. As he exited, he held the door open for another Senator that was entering. They traded pleasant smiles and went their separate ways, unaware that they were both in the process of writing history.

* * *

Padme smiled warmly at the man who held the door open for her. These days kindness was hard enough to come by that she would take it where ever she could. She let out a deep breath and shook away the warm feelings as she made her way over to the seating area. She promptly found a seat where she could see both doors and let out a sigh.

"I wouldn't smile too warmly at him," warned a voice just outside her view.

Padme about jumped out of her seat. Retaining what was left of her composer, she turned to face the man with the holonet game. "Captain Harris" was a man who appeared to be in his mid to late thirties with black hair cut short in a distinctly military cut, and a clean-shaven face.

"Why shouldn't I?" she asked as a way to ease the tension.

"He's been sitting down here forever-and-a-half," the agent explained as he lowered his voice.

"Doing what?"

"Watching. 'Casing' as we call it on Earth. He's scouting for something," 'Harris' explained with a shrug, "With the amount of rich and important people I've seen come and go over the last hour, it could be anything from a robbery to a murder."

"I see. Are you ever going to say anything to security," she asked.

"No. To do so would require me explaining why a 'security guard' was just randomly sitting in the lobby for an extended amount of time. Explaining that would require me to explain who I actually am, and the odds of a secret being revealed to the wrong person is exponential to the number of people who know about it. Clearly a couple people know mine. I'd prefer not to add to that number," the 'Captain' answered quietly.

Padme frowned. She wasn't quite sure what to say now. The man had both freely admitted that he wasn't who he claimed, but was clearly determined to keep it a secret, even at the expense of others.

"So..."

"So, let's go. I would hate to be late for my own security briefing," he answered louder as a Rodian walked in the door.

"Of course," Padme agreed as she rose from her seat, "The speeder is just right out front."

"No fancy valet for you?" he asked flippantly.

"What?" the Senator asked with confusion.

The term "valet" made no sense to her. 'Harris' dismissed the question with a wave.

The ride to the Temple was done in tense silence as the two people tried to mentally dissect the other. Across from her, Agent Garner's mind raced. Something had gone horribly wrong horribly fast. The only fact that kept him from splitting from the rest of the delegation was the fact that they didn't seem to know about anyone else. That left him with one option. He had to find the source and extent of the leak and plug it fast.

"Security briefing... that's the best you could come up with?" Senator Amidala finally snickered.

"It worked," he justified with an easy shrug before asking, "So, how did you get dragged into the role of counter-intelligence?"

"Luck, I guess," she answered.

"And you're a terrible liar. You don't just go from high ranking Senator to errand boy. What's going on?" he pressed.

The senator let out a sigh as he pushed a lock of hair out from in front of her face.

"I'm the one that's been fighting with the Senate to get reinforcements sent to your planet. If they get wind of an intelligence agent in the delegation, it is all over. There will be no back up, and there will be no support, and I will have wasted four months of my life that I won't get back," she explained with a sharp edge.

"And you're carefully built career will take a hit as well," he inferred.

"Yes, but that's hardly my biggest worry," the Senator retorted.

"Well, I wouldn't blame you for worrying about your career. After all, you were a major opponent of the war. Now you want to send a large force to fight someone else's battle. The war-hawks ought to be having a field day with that," Agent Garner pointed out.

"No. As a rule, I am opposed to escalation. However, escalation has already happened. On top of that, the two main CIS leaders of the war are on your planet. If sending more legions will stop them and put an end to the destruction, then yes… I am for escalating this piece of the war," Senator Amidala answered passionately.

Agent Garner nodded. The hint of exasperation in her voice made it clear that this Senator had repeated this explanation a more than a few times. While he wasn't sure what to do with that knowledge, he did at least have a "why" for what was going on. The agent mentally shelved his next question as they descended onto a landing pad. It was attached to a building with the shape of a towering rectangle. On top were three spires. He judged each one to be about a third of the size of the actual structure. The grandeur of the building continued inside as a Padawan lead them through a series of massive passage ways. Each one was lined with statues and other distinctly alien monuments.

Finally, they were lead up a lift. Agent Garner stared with wide eyes as he stared out at the Coruscant skyline. Every other view he had gotten of it previously paled in comparison to the view he saw now. After a couple minutes that view disappeared, and he was snapped back into reality. At the top, they were greeted by two masked guards. To Garner, they greatly resembled the knights of ancient Europe.

"Senator Amidala and Captain Harris for the Council," the Padawan declared.

The guards gave a nod and passed a relieved glance to the Senator. Clearly, not everyone knew his real occupation.

"You, stay," one guard ordered as he pointed to Senator Amidala.

"You, surrender your weapons now," ordered his partner.

Agent Garner hesitated as he assessed the situation. Incompetent investigators or not, the Jedi were skilled fighters. Taking one on in close quarters was not a fight he wanted. At the same time, surrendering his weapons went against several years of training and personal experience. After twenty tense seconds, he decided to strike a compromise.

"Fine. The gun is yours, but I keep the combat knife," he declared as he ejected the magazine from his Colt 1911.

There was a metallic _ping_ as a single bullet bounced off the duracrete floor. After that, he made a point of showing how short the blade was on the knife. The two guards looked at each other. The one shook his head.

"No. The knife too," he ordered.

Garner considered his options and let out an annoyed groan.

"Fine. I get both of these back," he conceded as he turned over the knife as well.

The guard simply ignored him as he swung open the door. On cue, the Padawan lead Agent Garner into the large circular room. The Padawan brought them to a stop in the middle of the room. around them, along the wall were twelve evenly spaced chairs. On them sat all manner of aliens and humans. Agent Garner recognized a few from the files he had read. However, there were many that he wasn't familiar with.

"Presenting Captain Harris of the Earth diplomatic mission," announced the Padawan crisply.

"Our thanks. Grateful we are," Yoda answered.

In response, the human of about seventeen spun on his heel and marched out of the room. The door shut behind him, and the Agent instantly felt each pair of eyes cut into him. Falling into old habits, clasped his hands behind his back in a posture known in the military as parade rest.

"Gentlemen... and ladies," he started hesitantly.

"Agent," answered the dark-skinned human.

Agent Garner instantly recognized him as Master Windu.

"Tell us... how many of you are there?" asked an unfamiliar woman- at least he assumed the green skinned alien was a woman.

Agent Garner lied without hesitation, "Security personnel, sixteen. Annoying intelligence people that are threatening political careers, one."

"That is a lie. Try again," answered another person, a male sounding person, this time.

Agent Garner's gun churned. This was worse than he thought.

"I'm not sure where you got your information, but you really ought to find a new source," he shot back.

There was always the chance they were bluffing on what they knew.

"We know a lot more than you think," Master Windu answered with an air of authority.

"Really. I'm not convinced," Agent Garner declared with a disbelieving look.

"Considering that I am their source in this matter, I am sure that we know more than you think," the Jedi master countered.

Agent Garner swallowed a gasp as he fought to keep his unreadable face. As he spared with the various Jedi, his mind raced. What had he done wrong? What had he revealed to Master Windu, that would give himself away? Even if he wouldn't admit it, there was no way that the Jedi were bluffing in the way he had hoped.

"You're here on a mission. What is it?" quizzed the man next to Windu.

The Agent would have pegged him as a human if it wasn't for his oval-shaped head. As a result of that feature, he got the mental label of "cone-head".

 _To clean up your goddamned mess!_ he mentally screamed before answering flippantly, "Find some intelligence... the school system on Earth sucks."

The short green alien in charge finally spoke up. The look he gave as he interjected was one of grim disappointment instead of annoyance.

"Start this again, we shall. Your name, what is it?" Yoda asked calmly.

Much to Agent Garner's surprise, this wasn't the same venom-laced calm that he was used to in an interrogation. Instead, it was genuine calmness. It neither revealed, nor promised anything in return for an answer. It was the same tone a teacher might use when asking the class to produce their homework from the night before.

"Field Agent Alex Garner, Central Intelligence Agency. My duty number is 55-36-B," he answered crisply.

Considering the fact that his cover identity was now useless around them, he deemed the information harmless enough. Hell, they couldn't really do anything if they wanted to. The database containing his personal information had been physically destroyed early in the battle for Earth as a precaution to protect any agents still operating.

"Did that feel good?" asked an orange-skinned alien off to his left.

Agent Garner immediately recognized him as Master Plo Koon.

"Excuse me?"

"Did you feel better when you decided to tell the truth?" Master Plo Koon clarified.

"It doesn't matter to me. You can't do anything with the information as it is. The only copy of my file in existence is a hard copy back on Earth," He explained.

"We can prove that you are a spy conducting unauthorized operations in Republic space," Master Windu threatened.

"You can but you won't," Agent Garner countered smugly.

"Why?" cut in a green skinned alien with green "tails" coming out of his head.

"By doing so, you would be throwing away a potentially vital resource. I'm just a low-level field operative. I'm better used to catch the bigger fish in the sea," he explained before taking a step forward and adding, "The question is, what fish do you want to fry?"

The double meaning was not lost on the council, and various unreadable looks circled the room. For the next forty minutes, the council continued to press him for information. For Agent Garner, it was a mentally exhausting exercise. Adding to the difficulty of not revealing information, was the fact that he was trying to poke around for information of his own. At the end of the intensive question and answer session, both parties were disappointed. Agent Garner was dismissed, leaving the council to pour over what they had just observed.

"Hmm... deeply troubled he is," Yoda observed, "Grateful that he is not a force-sensitive, I am."

"That's not just fear that I sensed in him. The anger was equally disturbing," Master Koth added.

"Looking for the same Sith Lord as us, it sounds like he is," Yoda noted, "Looking for revenge he is. Responsible for the destruction of his world, he holds this person."

"Yes. I noticed that as well. I do not believe he wishes to do harm to the Republic," Master Plo Koon agreed.

"I do not believe he cares as long as he gets this person," Master Luminara spoke up.

"For a man that was worried about saving his planet, he is quite resistant to cooperation," Master Fisto observed.

"From what I have gathered speaking to their leaders, many hold us responsible for the bloodshed on their planet," Master Windu explained.

"Why? We are the ones fighting to protect them," demanded another council member.

"They believe that our handling of the war has enabled the CIS to achieve the military success that put them on Earth," he elaborated, "There are also some fundamental differences in our philosophies."

"Entirely wrong, they are not. Mistakes we have made. Enabled Grievous, many of them did," Yoda admitted.

"They must understand that those mistakes do not make us the enemy," Master Luminara protested.

"No, but they do make us unreliable. I noticed that every time we approached the topic of other agents, he became quite fearful," Master Plo Koon answered thoughtfully.

"He fears what we'll do with the information," suggested Master Koth.

"Secrecy is a spy's greatest weapon," noted another council member.

"No, this was something else. He didn't fear for himself, he was fearful of himself. I've done undercover work before. When multiple people are involved, it only takes one weak link to take away multiple lives," Master fisto countered.

"Scared of being the weak one, he is," Yoda concluded.

"We must earn his trust if we are to have his cooperation," Master Mundi declared.

"That will not be easy. Distrust comes easiest to him," Master Windu warmed

"Yes, but start the process now, we must. Summon both him and the Senator, we should," Yoda concluded.

And so, it was done. Sixty seconds later, Agent Garner and Senator Amidala stood before the council.

"Agent Garner, this council understands your distrust. We also understand the anger fueling it," Mace Windu began, "However, in order for us to work together, we need to understand the extent of your resources."

"'need to understand'... huh? Let me tell you about a story of needing to know," Agent Garner answered in a voice dripping with contempt, "Fifteen years ago, the CIA operated one of the biggest intelligence networks on the European continent. It traveled down through about a dozen former Soviet states and had branches reaching out into both the Middle East and Moscow. Now, to give you context, that is a sizable chunk of Earth's landmass and a massive area of operation. It spanned multiple nations- both advisories and allies. One day, after years of surveillance and other field work, we finally had what was necessary to conclude the operation. Given the size and scope of our endgame we had to take it before the Senate Intelligence Committee in a midnight, close-door meeting. There we would request permission to proceed. What we didn't know was that that simple meeting was the kiss of death for this operation. The Chairman of that committee demanded the same thing you just did. He said that he needed to understand the 'extent of our operational capabilities'. So, our Director, in all of his foolishness, spelled it out. Within forty-eight hours, fifty-five American operatives and local civilians were either dead or running for their lives..." Agent Garner paused to let the gravity of the number set in, "...Of those people, only 2- counting myself- made it out alive."

"Someone leaked the information," Senator Amidala concluded.

Agent Garner nodded in confirmation as he continued bitterly, "Yes. That man, who had demanded that we reveal the information, turned around, had one too many drinks at a social event the next evening. To the best of our knowledge, he proceeded to brag about his position and the power he had to some lady he was trying to impress. In the course of this, he revealed key pieces of information about our operation. It wasn't enough information to technically be criminal, but it was compromising. At the end of the night it is widely believed that she took word back to one of the local governments. Regardless of our theories, the entire house of cards came crashing down. No bodies were recovered that I know about. To my knowledge they're still scattered about the countryside in shallow graves."

The room fell into silence as the council members considered what they had heard. The fact that he had a personal story to back up his position would make things exponentially more difficult.

"So, what happened to him?" Senator Amidala finally asked.

"He still chairs the committee. Any action against him would have brought a lot of press coverage and forced the CIA to acknowledge that the operation actually happened. The resulting scandal would have shattered whatever credibility we had left after the Second Gulf War, and severely damaged key alliances," Agent Garner replied flatly.

"Why is that?" quizzed Master Koth.

"We were already on the hook for a war that didn't have to happen. Some morons misread satellite images and the President ran with them. Couple that with an a completely ruined, morally questionable operation, and the blood in Langley would have been knee deep. God knows it was already ankle deep from that war," Agent Garner explained cryptically.

It was clear that he was avoiding going into details. Considering they didn't need those ones, no one pressed him further.

"It appears as though we are at an in-pass. You need our help to operate, yet you will not give us details about what you are doing," Master Windu observed.

Agent Garner nodded in agreement. As much as he didn't like Jedi, he had a point.

"Fine. You are right. There is more than one agent. I will not tell you who is an agent or how many there are. We weren't lying when we said that I was attached to the security detail. It's more than just a cover," Agent Garner reluctantly revealed, "As it stands, I'm due back on shift in an hour and a half."

"Then, what is your assignment? Instead of us just assuming, let us hear the truth from you," Master Plo Koon pursued.

In response, Agent Garner give the Senator a suspicion filled glance before shifting his gaze to Yoda and back.

"Stay she does. A choice you have not. Trust her, we do," Yoda answered firmly.

"I'm glad you do," Agent Garner snapped.

Master Windu let out an annoyed sigh as he compromised, "Keep exact details to a minimum."

"Someone is playing both the CIS and Republic. This person is responsible for both the war and the campaign that brought General Grievous to Earth. I also believe that he is a part of the reason we are not getting help. I am here to find out who it is and do what is required to put an end to him or her," Agent Garner answered with an obvious cringe.

"So, you're going to try to find the answers we haven't been able to find for over twelve years, using the same clues and same line of reasoning," a Master Fisto summarized with obvious annoyance.

"'Find answers', 'fix your mess', whatever term helps you sleep at night," Agent Garner shot back with a dismissive wave, "I have a list of people that I am interested in. I'll start there. What I need is more information. I know for a fact that we didn't get all of your information."

"Why did you not approach us to begin with?" Master Plo Koon pursued.

"I wanted to narrow down my- our-" he made a circular motion with his arm, "suspect pool. I was going to wait until after the Senate hearing. By then, I would have enough time to make observations and rule people out that obviously weren't it."

"So simple, it is not," Yoda noted somberly.

"No, it never is," Agent Garner admitted.

"I believe that is the extent of what we need to know at this time. Unless there is objection, I suggest that you return to your diplomats. We will be in touch," Master Windu concluded.

"No, I will be in touch. I will surface on my time," Agent Garner snapped before threatening, "If any of you blows my cover, someone's coming back here in a damn body bag."

Without waiting for a dismissal, Garner spun around and marched for the door.


End file.
